True Colors
by Katie21
Summary: Please review? Mostly M/L and other CC. Not everyone is who he or she seems to be... Liz, Alex and Maria aren't who they think they are: they've lived a life before... R/R plz? (:
1. Prologue

bDisclaimer:b I own nothing, except the characters I made up myself… You know the people to which the other characters belong.

bRating:b from R till … Depends on you guys… 

bSummary:b M/L, AU. 

Story sets place after Max In The City. Liz, Maria and Alex have lived a past life with the pod squad. They find out about their 'destiny' and learn to live with their newfound alien status… 

bA/N:b I've been reading fanfic for a iveryi  long time now, and decided it was about time to write my own fic.

Okay. So I've been playing with this idea for a little while now, and when I saw Max In The City last Sunday, I couldn't inoti write it down… 

You're gonna have to pretend that a few things didn't happen, okay? I'm just gonna brainwash those things out of your mind, and you won't know better than what I'll tell you… (:

When the balcony in New York was falling down on Max, Rath and Lonnie didn't held Tess back. She stood there with them, watching it fall. Max didn't see this, though. Lonnie and Rath never kidnapped Tess, they just ran away after their attack failed. Max and Tess didn't get home like in the end of the episode, so Max and Liz haven't decided to stay friends just yet… Ava never left Roswell, and is still sleeping at Liz's place… 

This is my very first fanfic, and I'd appreciate ianyi form of critique. Please… Even flames are welcome… 

I beg you for reviews. That's what makes it worthwhile to write a story…

That was about it, I guess. Read and enjoy (ahum ;D)…

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bTrue Colorsb

iProloguei

Iria couldn't seem to stop shivering, even though she tried very hard not to. Shivering was only a waste of her energy, and since she already had so little, it would be wise to save what was left. Not that it was much, but it was sufficient to be used in emergencies, or when the guards would throw the moldy bread down in the dungeons. All the captivated people, who normally didn't give any attention to their fellow prisoners, would fight to get as much food as possible. 

The continual dripping of water from the ceiling, joining the drops that had already fallen in the little stream, was enough to drive one crazy. Those drops and some water from the outside formed a small, dirty and smelly stream, with water almost too disgusting to drink. 

The new ones usually had a lot of trouble drinking it, and most of them refused in the beginning. But thirst is something horrible, something that won't stop bothering and nagging you until you've finally given in. After two days at most, you'll drink the water, and after a few weeks, you'll pretend that you like it. After some years, you'll have forgotten the taste of clean water, and won't be able to taste the dirt and filth that it carries in it. 

When Iria had first gotten here, there had been some other new people who had tried to wash themselves in the stream. The prisoners who had been down in the dungeons for a longer time had beaten them up, and made sure they would never do it again. 

The most powerful men and women in the arches had decided that no one could bathe in the water, for it had to stay as clean as possible. Surviving and having enough water was thought more highly of and found more important than the hygiene. If you really wanted to wash yourself, you could use your hands, but no one would let you get away with dirtying the water. Drinkable water was important, and down here it didn't matter whether you were clean or not. 

It was chilly in the dungeons. Well, chilly was an understatement, since the temperature was almost cold enough to make the water freeze. Everywhere around Iria people were sneezing and sniffing, and most of the prisoners were coughing. Everyone tried to stay warm by cuddling up together, but Iria wouldn't let anyone near. 

Iria was small, and there were some wrinkles that gave her age away. She was beautiful, in an extra-ordinary way. She had vivid blue eyes, and her hair, that once had been a darker shade, could now be seen as a mixture of amber and gray, with some dark streaks in it. She looked down at the little form of Ailiana, sound asleep with her tiny body firmly pressed against Iria's. Ailiana was the main reason why Iria couldn't risk getting close to anyone. No one could find out about Ailiana's identity, for if someone would, Ailiana would no longer be save there. 

Nowadays, everybody thought of Iria and the little girl as a strange couple; as outcasts or outsiders. In the beginning there had been some people trying to get a conversation started, but Iria had always walked away or turned around. Soon enough people had given up and didn't even bother to talk to them. Iria and Ailiana had been accepted, were are part of the group, and yet, at the same time, they weren't. 

Ailiana was also another reason why Iria was trying to save her energy. Iria needed to provide her with food and warmth, and had to comfort her and be there for her when she missed her father or her brothers and sister. Iria wouldn't let anything happen to Ailiana. She had been there when the little one had been born, and had taken care of her after Ailiana's mother had died in childbirth. Ailiana's father had assigned Iria to look after Ailiana and Iria had made a vow and sworn that she would put Ailiana's safety before her own. She loved Ailiana with all her heart and was sure that Ailiana loved her back. Ailiana was the only thing Iria had left, and she would never ever let anything happen to her. Never. 

A few years ago, Khivar's men had come to the palace of the King of the Second Moon, to take over control and chastise The Resistance. Ailiana's father and her sister had tried to escape, but the soldiers killed them before they could reach the gates. Iria had tried to hide Ailiana, but with no avail. Khivar's men had found them and since they had orders to take the first Princess of the Second Moon of Antar with them, they hadn't murdered Ailiana, like they had done to her older sister and her father, or raped her, like they had done to so many other innocent and helpless little girls, but just took her with them. They had been about to kill Iria, but somehow, with using some of her mindwarp-powers Iria had been able to convince them in taking her with them, so she could watch over Ailiana.   
  
Khivar had been furious when he heard about his men murdering Ailiana's older sister, Karia, and when he saw Ailiana he nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been expecting a beautiful, seventeen year old girl, and instead he got a five-year-old girl and an old, stubborn little lady. He had both of them being thrown in the dungeons, and he decided to wait until Ailiana would be eighteen years old.

If he would reveal that the first Princess of the Second Moon of Antar was still alive, and would marry him, the resistance on the Second Moon would probably lessen. The Resistance there was still widely supported and followed, despite of all of the reprisals Khivar had made, so it would be a great advantage to get rid of The Resistance there. Ailiana wouldn't resist his proposal, he was most certain of that. 

After all, she would be very grateful that he had saved her from his dungeons, which were commonly known as hell on Kravou. All Khivar had to do was wait fourteen years, and then he would not only have a beautiful bride, but he'd also have the Second Moon joining his side in the fight against Antar. With them fighting for him, he knew he'd be able to conquer Antar and the Third Moon almost without any efforts…

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	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Earlier I said that it'd be R… I don't know about that yet… We'll see, okay? (:

bTrue Colorsb

iChapter onei

12-21-2002, Journal entry 27

"All the times before, when I said that I had left normal, I was really sure my life couldn't get any stranger, nor more complicated. I was wrong. Really wrong. Right now, I'm so confused… I'm not even sure of what it is that I'm feeling… The only thing I know is that I'm confused. And that's not helping. Not much, anyway... 

So many things are unclear, so many questions left unanswered. Ava said that I was changing. Am I? Did Max do this; did he cause me to change? Or has this, this 'thing' been inside of me all along? 

I don't know, and not knowing frustrates me..."

Liz sighed and read back on everything she'd just written down. She moved her pencil, intending to write more, but her hand stopped in mid-air when she hesitated. She didn't think she was ready to write about Future Max and she iknewi she wasn't ready to write about Present Max's last words to her. She was trying to forget he ever said them, she had been trying to forget it from the moment he implied that he could no longer trust her. Not that that was even possible. Max's words were seared into the flesh of her brain. 

First, she'd lost his love, and now, somehow, she'd also managed to lose his trust. It was tearing her apart. She was grateful that she'd been able to save him in New York. He probably just got back, since he had been traveling by bus. He hadn't brought his jeep along, and with Lonnie and Rath being evil he hadn't had a car to drive back. She hoped she had regained some of his trust with saving him. She'd been scared out of her mind, but when Isabel told her that when Max would hear someone's voice it would be hers, she somehow had known that Isabel was right. She somehow knew that she would be able to save him, to warn him for the menacing danger. And she had.

Liz sighed once again, softly closed her journal and hid it carefully behind one of the loose bricks in one of the walls of her balcony. The same wall Max had made the heart on when she'd had that blind date. The same balcony where they'd shared their first kiss. The same balcony where they'd had their first break-up. The same balcony on which he'd seen her in bed with Kyle. This balcony held so much memories of him. Good ones and bad ones, nice ones and sad ones. 

She stood up from her lawn chair and extinguished the candles, their vanilla scent still lingering in the air. It'd been a long time ago since she'd done this for the last time; writing in her journal about everything that had happened. The last time must have been somewhere before the whole destiny-issue. In fact, she thought that the last day she'd written in it had been the day before she saw Max kiss Tess. That had been another painful happening, another thing too painful to write about. It felt good to write again, to pour out some of her thoughts. To sort them out, even when she wasn't sure of what she was thinking. Writing in her journal helped, it always did.

Liz stepped inside her room, closed her window and went through the process of getting ready for bed on autopilot. Ava looked peacefully asleep, clutching Liz's favorite teddy bear against her chest. She snored a little every time she breathed out. Liz prayed that Ava wouldn't have anymore bad dreams this night. She felt sorry for the girl, for her being bossed around her whole life by Rath and Lonnie, and seeing the love of her life dying in front of her eyes. Liz quietly shook her head. How was it possible that someone who looked so much like Tess could be so different? They were like sun and night, fire and water, black and white. 'Like good and evil,' Liz thought, and involuntary she shivered. She was glad that she and Ava could get along so well. It proved once more that her feelings of hatred and distrust towards Tess had nothing to do with Tess's supposed "destiny" with Max. There was just something about Tess that Liz didn't trust, something evil almost… 

Liz threw the covers back and slipped into her bed. An hour ago she'd been sure she wouldn't get any sleep tonight, but right now, she was so tired… She yawned once and closed her eyes. Pretty soon, she was deep asleep. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ailiana cringed when Iria's cold hands, covered with mud, touched her face. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but Iria said that it had to be done. People couldn't recognize her this way, for even though she had grown up, she still looked a lot like she used to do. She had become even more beautiful than she had been as a child, and with the years, she'd grown a little taller, but she still was smaller than girls of her age should be, partly due to the lack of food she got to eat. Her hair was still silky and long, but because she never got to wash it thoroughly, it was tangled and full of knots. Her eyes still were a tint of deep brown, although they did no longer shine with the innocence and naivety of a five-year-old. She had changed, yet stayed the same. 

Iria's fingers delicately traced her face and the base of her throat, covering her face in mud. Ailiana was fourteen years old now, and her powers had been developing since she was eight. She had already had some as a baby, but back then, she'd only been able to change the molecular structure of some small utensils. 

Now, she could easily mindwarp people like Iria could, and had the ability to 'talk' to animals. It wasn't really talking, but more like forming a connection. She would send the animal an image, a feeling or a thought, and she'd get a thought, feeling or image back. She'd practiced that power a lot, for it was nice to have a conversation with someone else besides Iria. There were plenty of animals in the dungeons to practice with. Small ones, like spiders and flies, and bigger ones, like rats and mice. 

"You can escape," Iria whispered. "Tonight. When the First Moon has reached its top, they'll bring in the new prisoners. The soldiers will open the gates. You'll walk towards them, carefully. Try to get no one to notice you. Mindwarp them into believing you're one of the guards and walk away with them." 

Iria's hands gestured hastily while trying to explain her idea. "Find your way out of the palace. When you have managed to do so, leave for the Second Moon and try to find The Resistance. They'll support you, and help you out." 

Ailiana smiled. She loved the way Iria could get when she would passionately talk about something. Escaping? Out of the dungeons of Kravou? That was impossible. No one had, not even the bravest warriors of the Resistance. Why would she be able to do so? Sure, she had powers. Most people hadn't, for only the ones that were royal of blood had. 

"There's no way I'll be able to escape, Iria," Ailiana stated. "No one ever has, and no one ever will. It's impossible." 

"Not for you, Ailia," Iria retorted, "not for you. You are special. You are strong. You icani escape." 

Ailiana shook her head. "I'm not going to try it, Iria. It's too dangerous. Khivar knows I'm of royal blood. He won't have made it that easy for me to escape. He's not stupid." 

Iria looked her in the eye. "Ailiana… He didn't know how strong you were. The only time he has ever seen you, was when you were very little, and almost without powers. You were late with developing them, and he probably thought you would never get them. You can escape, believe me." 

She averted her gaze and looked around her, making sure no one was eavesdropping. "Ailia, please…" she begged. 

Ailiana sighed. "What about you? What will happen to you when I escape? I will not leave you here." 

Iria shook her head. "You'll have to, honey. There's no other way to do this." 

"But…" Ailiana tried to say, but Iria cut her off. 

"No, Ailiana. I will not hear more of this. You will escape tonight, without me." Ailiana tried to say something else, but again Iria kept her quiet. "No, Ailia. You will," she said. "You will."

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i So… What do you think? Should I continue? Please, please, please review… i

Love,

Katie


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: _

_[b]Roswellluver, Twilighteyes1974, qt4167013, Sky, marteloise, Shari, jeremiah and Nayney:[/b] Thank you so much for all your encouraging words!!! [smile]_

_[b]Erin:[/b] Thank you! I hope the following part will explain things. If not, feel free to ask again… [smile] I was looking for a title after writing the prologue… I first thought of it in Dutch (Ware Gedaanten), and then I had to translate it to English. I couldn't do that literally, though, and I figured this would be the best figural translation. Does that make sense? Anyway, I don't know the song, but I'll see and try to download it… Thank you for the fb! [grin] _

_[b]Dia:[/b] Read the next chapter to find out… [grin] I'm glad I got you hooked. Thanks for the fb!!! [smile]_

_[b]Josephin!!![/b] I'm so glad that you're reading this! I'm pretty sure my native language isn't English [grin]… I guess school must have done some good to me. _

_Although I'd like to say that Tess is still in New York, she isn't. I'm planning on having her evil, and since there has to be some angst, she got back with Max. About Ailiana and Liz… Hush!!! *bends forward and whispers* Don't tell anyone yet… It's a surprise, but not for long… Good that you figured it out, must have been b/c of reading so much Nancy Drew books, huh?_

_Khivar knows Ailiana is in his dungeons, he was the one who put her there. Since he didn't want a five-year-old walking around in his castle, and decided to let her being imprisoned until her 18th birthday. I hope it wasn't too confusing…_

_Yes, the field is open for Max and Liz now, but I'm not planning to let them get together so soon… Like I already said, there has to be some angst in this fic. Don't worry! I promise this story will have a Dreamer-ending…_

_Thank you for all the kind words, the help and the bump (I loved your smiley)… _

_Well, on to the story… I wasn't really happy with chapter two, so please be kind…_

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_[b]True Colors [/b]_

_[i]Chapter 2[/I]_

_Michael strolled through the deserted streets of the city, with just [i]one[/i] goal in his mind. Liz Parker. A few hours ago, he had told Max about a rumor that was being spread in school. Something about Kyle having slept with Liz. Of course he didn't believe it, knowing that Liz would never do such thing. Still, he'd thought it might be wise to tell Max about it, before he would hear it at school from someone else. He was going to his place anyway, to talk with him about the summit meeting and Lonnie and Rath. Max had surprised Michael, telling him that the rumor was [i]true[/i] and that Liz [i]had[/i] slept with Kyle. _

_First, Michael had half-heartily laughed, thinking Max was making a joke. A very cynical one, yes, and a very bitter one, but what did he know? As far as he knew, Liz was still making goo goo eyes at Max. _

_He sighed. Max had said that Liz [i]had[/i] slept with Kyle, and that he'd seen them in bed together. Naked. Michael had been shocked, to say at least. Liz Parker, the perfect little town-girl, sleeping with Kyle Valenti? Not in his wildest dreams. And thank God for that. It wasn't like he was waiting for a dream about Liz and Kyle. _

_Liz and Kyle. That just, it just seemed… wrong somehow. When he saw how devastated Max had been when he spoke about Liz and Kyle, Michael decided he'd find out what [i]really[/i] had been going on. Liz wouldn't sleep with Kyle, he was sure of that. She loved Max too much to do that to him. So he went to Maria, knowing that if there was someone who knew the truth, it would be her. _

_It had took him some convincing and bribing (not that he'd mind that) to get Maria to tell him about it. He'd been amazed. Awed, really. At first, he'd been a little skeptical. No matter how much he'd wanted to believe that Liz hadn't slept with Kyle, he surely wasn't going to believe this. No way. He might look stupid, but he wasn't a complete dumb-ass. _

_When Maria had assured him that it [i]was[/i] true, and explained all the details, he started to believe her. It was a typical Liz-thing to do, noble and self-sacrificing as she was. Maria had made him swear to not tell anyone, and keep it a secret. So he had made a vow. With his fingers crossed. _

_He had to tell Max about this. He couldn't not tell him about it. Max was his best friend, for Christ's sake. Thus, a few minutes later, he was back at Max's house. Now it was his turn to amaze his friend. Max had believed it right away, willing to believe any logical explanation. [i]Every[/i] explanation, really, no matter how weird it might be. _

_He shook his head when he thought back on Max's reaction. He'd wanted to go to Liz right away and tell her he was sorry, that he knew she would never do such thing to him, that he loved her, and they would be able to work everything out. Michael had stopped him, reminding him he couldn't do that. Before he had told him, he had made Max vow he wouldn't tell anyone what he was about to tell. Max had obliged and promised him he wouldn't. _

_Michael had felt a little bit guilty about breaking his promise to Maria, but he was sure that it was necessary. No matter how much he tried to convince himself that he didn't care about Liz, he knew that deep inside he did. He loved her like he loved Isabel. She was like a sister to him. A very close one, even though he tried to keep his distance. He needed to fix whatever was going on, and his first move would be telling Liz he knew. He'd make her see that she [i]could[/i] tell Max, and that they could work it out. Together. _

_That was his plan. He wasn't quite sure yet how he would break the news to her, but he knew he had to tell her. He passed the UFO-museum and walked into the alley next to the Crashdown. Carefully avoiding the dumpsters to make no sound he sauntered over to the fire ladder. Quietly mounting it, he became aware of a bright light spreading itself in Liz's room. He climbed through her window, on his guard and ready to use his powers if necessary. _

There Liz was, shining like some sort of weird light bulb, casting a light blue glow all over the room.  He gasped, slightly amazed for the umpteenth time this day. He reached out, intending to touch her, but pulled his hand back when he heard a soft, but very insisting voice. 

"[i]Don't[/i] touch her." 

He quickly turned around with his hand raised towards the direction where the voice had came from. 

"Ava?" he hesitantly asked. "What are you doing here?" He kept his hand up, ready to protect Liz if necessary. 

Ava shook her head and shrugged once, implying she wasn't about to answer that question. "What are [i]you[/i] doing here?" she asked skeptically. 

Michael shrugged back. If she wanted to play the denial game, then he could do the same. He was Lord and Master in denying. He nodded towards Liz. "What's going on with her? Why shouldn't I touch her?" He arched his eyebrow, silently challenging her to answer that question.

"She's awakening," Ava simply answered. 

"Awakening?" Michael sarcastically replied. "She seems pretty vast asleep to me." He gave Ava a lopsided smile and arched his eyebrow again.

Ava sighed in frustration. "She's retrieving her memories. That's why she's glowing. You can't touch her now." 

A soft gasp from Liz caught both of theirs attention. She was turning and moving frantically in her bed, her face twisted by distress and pain. 

"She's in pain," Michael said, and hastily walked to the bed. "No Michael! Don't touch her!" he heard Ava yell, but he chose to ignore her. 

"Liz," he whispered. "Liz, wake up. It's just a dream." He reached out and softly touched her hand.   
  
The second his skin met hers, she arched her back and immediately after that, she jumped up, her eyes wide in fear and pain. She no longer radiated any form of light. Michael winced at the sounds of pain she made, between her panting in. He opened his arms, trying to embrace her, but a moment later Liz's eyes shone with something Michael believed was recognition, and she fell back on her bed again, her eyes firmly closed. 

"See what you did?" Ava asked him. "You interrupted the awakening process." 

She quickly pulled him back. "You are never, ever to touch someone when he or she is awakening. Never, you understand?" She shook her head, and Michael was sure she'd continue chastising him if he wouldn't stop her. 

"Sorry," he quickly said. "I didn't mean to hurt her, I, I just thought that she was in pain and…" 

Ava broke him of. "You shouldn't [i]think[/i] Michael. You have to be sure." 

Michael nodded reluctantly, and suddenly he realized that she still hadn't explained what this awakening-thing was. 

"So…" he began, "what's she doing when she is, you know, [i]awakening[/i]?"


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I decided to post chapter 3, too… I hope it will make up for chapter 2! [smile] 

[b]**Twilighteyes1974:[/b] Thanks for the fb! ****[grin]**

[b]**Trude: [/b] I'm glad you like it so far! What do you mean with "**wonder what the "old" aliens will think of the "new" aliens!"? Thank you for the feedback! [smile]

[b]Josephin, Josephin![/b]: I'm sorry if part 2 was a little bitty bit too short for your liking… I hope this part will please you! [grin]

Ava definitely knows things… Let's just say that she remembers a lot from her past life, okay? [grin] You'll have to read the new part to figure everything out… Don't worry about Max falling for Tess. He soooo will not fall for her… There will be some angst, though… I thought it might be nice to let Michael figure out what really had been going on in TEOTW, and to let him tell Max. I'm glad you liked that. Max and Liz will not meet each other for a couple of chapters… I didn't got there just yet, sorry! Thanks for the fb! [smile]

[b]** Asabetha**:[/b] *sigh* Thank you for your beautiful words… 

[b]True Colors[/b] 

[i]Chapter 3[/I]

Ava looked one last time at Liz, and seemed content with what she saw. She had been looking forward to this day, and yet dreading it. Liz's memories would come back, and she wasn't sure how she would react when she knew. For now, Liz seemed deep asleep, and the awakening-process had been stopped. For how long, Ava did not know, but it wouldn't be long until it would continue. 

She looked back at Michael and gestured towards the living room. "Let's talk there," she said. "I don't want to wake her." 

"What about her parents?" Michael asked.

"Gone for the weekend," Ava shortly replied.

Michael nodded his agreement and followed her into the room next-door. 

Ava nervously twisted with her fingers. How was she supposed to tell him? She sighed. She didn't really know how to begin. Should she just drop the bomb on him? Should she just say: "Hey, you probably didn't know yet, but Liz is your sister. Yep, she's also an alien. Cool, huh? Mm mm… Yeah, and guess what? Khivar is after her once again… So… well… maybe you should, you know, protect her… Oh, and by the way, I murdered her in my past life, no offense…" She somehow didn't think that he would take that really well. She sighed once more and put her hands in her pockets. It always was a good idea to start at the beginning, right? She scratched her eyebrow and took a deep breath. 

"Um… Has Tess ever told you about Ailiana?" she asked Michael, hoping that there was no need to explain everything. Michael looked questioningly at Ava and shook his head. "No, she hasn't. What's that? It sounds familiar…" 

Ava smiled weakly. "Ailiana is no it. It's a she. She was your sister in your past life." She looked him in the eye. "Don't you remember her? You loved her very much. You'd been separated at the age of six, and lost sight of each other for about ten years." 

"I had a sister?" Michael asked in awe. Ava smiled and nodded. This time the smile did reach her eyes. "Is she, has she been recreated, too? Could I, could I actually meet her?" Michael eagerly asked. 

Ava nodded again. "You've already met her, Michael. Listen to your heart. It already knows what your mind fears to admit." Michael stared at her, clearly still shocked and amazed by her revelations. 

"I don't… I don't know any other aliens than the eight of us and Nasedo," he hesitantly began. "Are you… I mean, it can't be you." He smiled nervously. "Can it?" 

Ava shook her head. "No. We were family, though. I'm a very far cousin of you." She smiled. "Think deeper Michael. Don't be afraid to feel. Who do you think about when you hear the word sister?" she asked.

Michael looked away, brooding. After a few moments he sighed in frustration and looked back at Ava. "Just tell me," he said. "I'm not a sensitive guy. If you're looking for one, go and retrieve Maxwell."  

Ava arched her eyebrow, echoing Michael's earlier gesture. Rath had never been a real open guy, but he'd always been willing to admit his love for Ailiana. Being this closed off was exceptional, even for Rath. "You already know, Michael. It's deep within you, and you can find it. Don't fear to tell me." 

Michael closed his eyes and when he opened them, he gazed at Liz's room. "Is it…" 

He took a deep breath and continued his sentence. "Is it Liz? Is Liz my sister?" 

Ava looked at him, seeing his fear. What is he so afraid of? she wondered. Did he fear a denial, or did he fear an affirmation? She smiled, trying to comfort him. "Yes, Michael. Liz is your sister." 

Michael blinked once, and then moved over to the couch. When he sat down he asked the question that was really bothering him. "How? She isn't like us. She hasn't had a past life…" Ava nodded understanding his problem. "She isn't, yet she is like us. She's been recreated in a different way, in an easier way." Ava didn't really know how to explain this. Science had never been her favorite subject. "She's been, like, implanted in a human body. Don't ask me for details, cuz I can't give you any. When Serena arrives, you can ask her. She'll know." 

"Serena?" Michael wondered out loud.

"Yeah. Serena. She once was a very good friend of Ailiana. They shared the same interests, you know, science and stuff." Ava scrunched her nose. "When my pod squad had been recreated and sent to Earth, they decided to sent another set, to be sure, ya know? They improved the second set, gave them more food and oxygen to survive the journey and the incubation period. That lacked in the first set, so that's probably why the four of us are different than the four of you. You were supposed to land somewhere close to Seattle, but your ship crashed, causing you to end up in Roswell." 

Ava paused, checking if Michael understood what she was saying. When he didn't ask anything, she continued. "Our parents, and in your case Zan's and Vilandra's parents had been the ones who had decided to send us back. The Council chose to send your partners along, so you'd be stronger. Sending Ailia back was a really good choice, for she was very strong." 

Ava glanced at Liz's bedroom door. "I don't know why they didn't send her right away. Serena and the other scientists were busy developing a new way to recreate persons. They waited for some years, and had Ailia implanted into a human body." She pointed at a photograph of Nancy Parker. "You know the rest."

Michael just sat there, slightly dazed from all the information he had just been given. "So, is that why Liz hasn't any powers, and we do?" 

Ava nodded, then changed her mind and shook her head. "She does have powers. They just need time to develop. It was just yesterday that she'd been awakened. They'll come back to her, but she'll need to train them a lot."

Michael didn't answer, and remained deeply immersed in his thoughts. Ava was about to nudge him when he suddenly spoke up.

"You said 'our partners'…" Michael looked at Ava for some affirmation. When she nodded he continued. "But our partners had already been sent down here, hadn't they? I mean, what about our destiny? I was betrothed to Vilandra, wasn't I?" 

Ava looked at him questioningly. 

"What are you talking about?" 

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You already know what I'm going to ask… Review, please???

Love ya all,

Katie


	5. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! Thank you for all your fb! 

[b]True Colors[/b]

[I]Chapter 4[/I]

Liz sighed exasperated. Couldn't they talk a little bit louder? She closed her eyes, slightly surprised she hadn't fainted yet. She was shocked, yes, but what else did you expect from someone who just found out she was alien? Michael's sister, nonetheless… Now [i]that[/i] should have been enough to scare a person to death!

They were talking about destiny now, at least, Liz thought they were. When she had woken up a few minutes ago and heard voices in the living room, she'd been scared for a while. Her parents weren't at home, so she had no clue who it could be. Then she remembered seeing Michael's face when she'd woken up, and her eye had fallen on the empty sleeping bag in which Ava had been sleeping. 

She had quietly gotten up from her bed and had moved over to her door. She hadn't planned on eavesdropping, but when she heard Michael speak her name, she'd unconsciously perched her ears and listened to what Ava was saying. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, honestly!  

She giggled softly. She had a brother! How exciting was that? She'd always wanted one, begged her parents for it and wrote yards long letters to Santa Claus. Her parents told her that it was impossible, that she had already been a miracle for them. Later, when she was older, they explained that her mother couldn't get any more children because of a problem with her uterus. And now she had a brother! Okay, so Michael was her brother, but he could be nice, right? Sometimes… Not very often, but still. She had a brother!

She was so excited, she had to stop herself from jumping up and down. Her hand went to the door latch. The metal felt cool against her moist hands. She shivered, and thought back on her dream. It hadn't seemed a dream, though. It all seemed so real. Were they the memories Ava spoke about? Where would Rath have been?

She pushed her ear closer to the door. Darn! What were they talking about? Michael's voice was deep and he sounded a little angry. Didn't he want her as his sister? Max had told her that Michael had always longed for a family, but maybe he didn't like her. She sighed and pushed the door open. The only way to know was to find out, right?

When she walked into the living room, Michael and Ava simultaneously looked up with surprised and somewhat guilty looks on their faces. She stared at Michael, trying to gauge his thoughts. They had gazed at each other for a few minutes when Ava broke the silence. 

"So…" she began, "I guess you heard everything, didn't you?" 

Liz nodded, her gaze still firmly on Michael's face. Ava pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, uncertain of whether or not she should leave them alone. 

Michael smiled a little unsure, and cleared his throat. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. His fingers raked through his hair, making the spikes even more spikier. 

Liz smiled back at him. "I guess so…" she hesitantly replied. "You know… As okay as a person can be after hearing this…" she grinned. She shifted from one foot on the other. "How do you feel about this?" she asked, awaiting his answer nervously.

Michael gave her a reassuring smile. "I don't know. I've never had a sister, but I think I'll like having one." 

Liz nodded. "I think I'll like having a brother, too."

She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Michael. 

"So… Where were you guys talking about when I came barging in?" she curiously asked. 

Ava looked at her, then at Michael. It was then that Liz noticed Ava's bewildered look, and the hint of astonishment that was visible on her face. Ava shook her head, obviously deeply immersed in thoughts. 

"Michael said something about a destiny, or something like that," she began, sounding a little bit confused. 

Liz nodded, trying to let Ava know she understood. "Yeah," she let out a defeated sigh, "destiny." Suddenly she gasped softly, barely hearable, but it didn't went unnoticed by Michael. He looked at her, concerned, trying to find out what was wrong. As realization started to dawn to her, Liz turned to Ava. "Do I also have a destiny?" she asked, dreading to hear the answer. 

Ava shook her head. "I don't know." she answered. "I've never heard about a destiny before, and I most surely do not understand why Michael should be with Isabel. Who told you this?" 

Michael frowned. "Nasedo did. Our protector," he explained. "Tess also knew about it, and then there was the book and the message in the podchamber…" 

Ava looked even more confused after Michael's enumeration. "You had a book?" she asked. "And there was a message in the podchamber?"

Michael looked at her, and suddenly he started to doubt his destiny. He looked helplessly at Liz, who smiled at him and took his hand. He was surprised by her gesture of affection, but he decided he liked it. Liz softly squeezed his hand, and softly started to speak.

"They had a book with pictures of Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess in it. It appeared that they were paired up in some way, Michael with Isabel," she paused a second, "and Max with Tess." 

Liz was sure that if it had been possible, Ava would have looked even more bewildered then before. 

"When we used the orbs, Max's and Isabel's mother appeared to us, explaining why we were sent here," Michael picked up Liz's explanation. 

"The orbs…" Ava whispered. "You have them?" she incredulously asked. Michael nodded. 

"Did you, have you used them?" she asked. "Did the Granolith work?" 

This time it was Michael's turn to be surprised. "What does the Granolith have to do with the orbs?" he wondered. "The orbs were made to communicate, weren't they?"

Ava vigorously shook her head. "No, they weren't. The orbs are meant to activate the Granolith, so we will be able to go home." 

"Home?"  Liz whispered.   
  
Ava pointed upwards. "Home," she confirmed.

A comfortable silence fell when they all pondered about the possibilities. Liz was unwilling to break the silence, but knew that some things had to be cleared up. 

"So, I was Ailiana in my past life, right?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. "Why was she so important? She was a princess, wasn't she?" 

Ava smiled. "Not only a princess," she said, "but also a queen…"


	6. Chapter 5

[b]True Colors[/b]

[i]Chapter 5[/I]

"Twenty… twenty-one… twenty-two… twenty-three…" Max sighed. This didn't work. He was hoping that working out would get his mind of a certain Liz Parker for awhile, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. He had made his homework about an hour ago, praying that the difficult math problems would distract him. He had gotten behind because of his trip to New York, but the holidays were round the corner, and he'd have plenty of time to catch up then. 

Working out had been his last resort, but obviously, that wasn't helping either. He couldn't help thinking about the words he had said to her, about her rescuing him, or about the whole coming-back-from-the-future thing. He was still confused about that, and he hoped she could explain things to him. Michael had only told him the story in broad outlines; he didn't know all the details. 

Max smiled when he thought back to Michael's visit. They were becoming closer again. He had hated to see them grow apart, and to distrust each other. Now, they were back on the track to become best friends once more. The radio station announced a new song. He was pretty sure this was one of Liz's favorites. He almost turned the volume up, when he reminded himself that his parents and Isabel were most certainly sleeping. 

He sighed again. Liz… He wanted to tell her he knew that she didn't sleep with Kyle, and why, but he promised Michael he wouldn't. He would have to wait until Michael had carried out his plan. When that had worked, he could tell her that he loved her, and maybe they could get back together again. Getting back together was a big possibility. After all, Michael had told him that Liz still loved him. It was what Maria had said. He hoped she was right, and that Liz still cared for him, after everything he had said and done. He'd treated her horribly, told her he did no longer trust her, and even gave her the pocketknife back. He prayed she would forgive him…

He'd loved Liz his whole life. From the moment he saw her, till now. Even when he thought she'd slept with Kyle he had loved her. He had tried to suppress his feelings for her, and tried to be mean to her, to hate her for what she'd done to him. He should have known that it was impossible for him to fall out of love with her. He had tried that, several years ago, when Isabel, Michael and he had made the pact to never tell anyone about their secret. 

He had known back then, that he could never be with Liz. So he had tried to fall out of love with her. He had pictured her, covered in zits, picking in her nose, saying mean things to him, but nothing worked. Somehow his imaginations always ended with him kissing her, and caused him to fall even more in love with Liz. 

He hadn't planned to kiss her the night after she'd gotten arrested. He just went to her to check if she was okay. That was what he kept telling himself when he walked down in the alley. Perhaps he had secretly hoped for a little goodnight kiss, but he hadn't even dared to expect the kiss they had shared that night. It had been amazing to finally kiss the girl he'd been pining about for ten years. Words to describe it failed him. It had been downright wonderful. And surprisingly, the kiss didn't lessened his longing for her, but only enkindled it. 

Maybe, he thought, maybe it [i]would[/i] be better to stay apart. Liz would be safe that way, and when he'd have to go back to his planet it wouldn't be so hard to leave her. It would still be hard, there was no doubt about that, but it wouldn't be so difficult as it would be knowing that Liz loved him back. 

He sighed once more. He seemed to find himself doing that pretty often lately. His musing about things had tired him out, and he decided that it might be wise to catch some Z's before professing his undying love for Liz. That is, if he didn't want her to run away screaming when she laid her eyes on him. Maybe he'd dream about her tonight… He closed his eyes and fell asleep right away. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mum! Mummy! Can Lonnie and I go out and play?" Zan eagerly asked his mother. His mother's face may looked old, but her eyes twinkled and showed her love for her son. 

"Zan, sweety…" she smiled, and chucked his chin. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me mother? You're going to be a king." 

She lifted him carefully from the ground and twirled him around. "Now, tell me, do kings call their mothers 'mummy'?" 

Zan looked to the ground, clearly embarrassed and looking truly sorry. "Forgive me, mother. It won't happen again, I promise." He glanced up from under his eyelashes to see if his mother would be angry with him. Joah would have been, he was sure of that. Joah was always mad at him and Lonnie, forbidding them everything they wanted to do. 

His mother just smiled, though. "It's okay, honey. If you want to play outside you'll have to find Joah, okay?" 

Zan sighed. "But mother, I and Lonnie…" "Lonnie and I," his mother corrected him. 

"Lonnie and I," Zan continued, "we don't like Joah. He's always teasing us and he never allows us to do anything."

"He isn't doing that to be mean, Zan. He is just trying to protect you and Lonnie," his mother told him. Zan pouted. "Please mother?" he begged his mother, but she kept ground. 

  
"No Zanier. You know very well that Joah has to come along to protect you both. You will not leave this castle on your own." his mother sternly replied. "It's too dangerous, Zan," her voice softened. "You know that."

"I know, mother," Zan sighed. "I just wish he wouldn't have to come with us."

"So do I," his mother said. "So do I." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Review, review, review please? I live for reviews… [smile]


	7. Chapter 6

[b]True Colors[/b]

[I]Chapter 6[/I]

"You know very well what you have to do, Tess!" Nicholas yelled at her. 

"I know, I just can't get in right now," Tess meekly whispered. 

"Damn Tess! What's wrong with you? Khivar won't like this, not at all! They cannot remember, for if they do, everything will be lost!" Nicholas chastised her.

Tess closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate. Think of Max, she thought. Max. She felt his presence near her, but didn't manage to find him. Max, she thought once again. He was still hidden somewhere, behind the mist of consciousness. 'Max!' she screamed in her mind. She twirled around, feeling something tapping on her shoulder. Nicholas. What was he doing here? He had probably connected with her to get here. She had told him a thousand times that she didn't want him to get inside her head. How dare he! She wasn't about to tell him, though. Nicholas was angry enough as it was already. 

"Where is he?" Nicholas mouthed to her.

Tess shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." she mouthed back to him. "Close, though."

Nicholas closed his eyes. A frown appeared in his forehead. A few seconds later he nodded to Tess, gesturing her to get out.

Tess returned with a shock in her own body. Slowly becoming aware of her surroundings, she heard Nicholas tell her he'd found Max, and stopped his memories from flowing back to him. She was drained. She wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to do this, to suppress not only the memories of Max, but also those of Michael and Isabel. 

And then there was Liz. She was afraid that the Awakening had started. After all, Liz had used her powers to save Max a few days ago, what probably triggered the process. She feared to tell Nicholas, was afraid for his anger and rage, but knew she'd have to tell him. He'd find out sooner or later anyway. 

"Nicholas," she quietly said.

"What?" he rudely asked.

"About Ailiana… She used her powers to rescue Max. I think she might be awakening." She looked down, dreading to see his reaction.

"She's what? I thought you said you had everything under control! You said she would never awaken, not even after Max had healed her!" Nicholas was furious, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

"You [i]swore[/i] she'd never remember and would stay away from Max! I thought you had solved everything with mindwarping her. Max would stay away from her, that's what you said! You know that I'll have to contact Khivar about this, don't you?" 

Nicholas was beyond angry. He was outraged and Tess could practically see his powers searing inside of him. 

"The mindwarp worked, and Max will stay away from her, I made sure of that, I promise. I couldn't do anything to stop her from awakening, though." Tess hastily defended herself. "The process has been interrupted somewhere last night, so there's a chance that she doesn't know who she is just yet." 

Nicholas stared at her, his cold eyes piercing right through her soul. "She will awaken again, and you know it. Once the process has been started, there's nothing that can stop it." 

He shook his head. "I'll ask Khivar what we should do. It won't be long until he'll arrive in person to take care of her." 

"Why can't we just kill her?" Tess asked, hoping to get rid of Liz as soon as possible. That girl always caused her troubles. "I don't see why Khivar would want to have her."

Nicholas laughed bitterly and cupped Tess' cheek. "Tess, love, this girl is special. Khivar wants her. She was very strong and once her powers are developed, she'll come in handy in the war. The people are discontent. Rumors have been spread. People are starting to believe the Royal Ones have been recreated and will come back to free them from the yoke of Khivar." 

Nicholas shook his head. "The Resistance is growing. If Khivar would have an heir with Ailiana, it would appease the people, and assure his position." 

He rolled his eyes, not understanding why people would have peace with a horrible king when he'd have an heir with Ailiana. 

"Besides that," he continued, "she's said to be absolutely gorgeous, from the outside [i]and[/i] the inside. He loves her, Tess. What he had with you was purely based on lust, but it's different with this girl." Nicholas winded a strand of Tess' curls around his finger, softly pulling it.

"If you'd extend [i]one[/i] finger intending to hurt her, you won't live long enough to see the next day." he threatened.

Tess nodded, unsure of what to do with herself. 

Nicholas softly petted her on her head. "Good girl," he said. "Try to keep Max from retrieving his memories as long as possible, you hear me? Now, leave."

Tess stood up and walked towards the door of the old storehouse. She looked one last time over her shoulder, just in time to see Nicholas grinning at her. She smiled weakly and left the building, leaving for the Valenti-household. 

It was time to take control into her own hands… 


	8. Chapter 7

True Colors 

Chapter 7

"I… I was a queen?" Liz stammered. 

Suddenly she understood. Of course she was a queen. Khivar had wanted to marry her, hadn't he? Khivar was a king, and with her as his wife would make her… queen…

Ava smiled reassuringly. "Yes, you were. And a very beloved one, if I can recall it clearly. The people loved you and Zanier."

"Zanier?" Michael asked. "You mean Max, right?"

Ava nodded. "Yeah. They were such a wonderful couple. One could not see them and [I]not[/I] love them."   
  
Liz frowned. Ava looked somehow guilty, although Liz had no clue why she would. Her mind was still trying to progress everything that she'd just been told.

"So… I was married to Max…" she started, "why then is he destined to be with Tess?"

She looked questioningly at Ava, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Michael doing the same. 

Ava shook her head, confused. "I don't know," she answered. "I've never heard of this 'destiny' before. All I know is what happened in the past; no details, though. I… I think that maybe… I'm not sure, but…" she stopped, looking at a painting on the wall.

"What is it, Ava?" Liz asked concernedly. "Are you okay?"

Ava was still hesitant. If she would tell them, they might lose their faith in her. On the other hand, when she wouldn't tell them, and they would find out later, she'd definitely lose their trust. She quickly made a decision and prayed that she'd made the right one. 

"I…" she started, "I believe that Tess might be working against you… I'm not sure, but all the directions point towards that conclusion." She looked down, unwilling to meet their persistent gazes on her. 

"I already told you that your pod-set is more like you've been in your past lives. Avandra was evil, although no one knows." 

She looked at Liz.  I… I murdered you in my past life," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

Liz fervently shook her head. "No Ava. You don't have to be sorry. You didn't kill me. Avandra killed Ailiandra. It wasn't your fault," she said, while taking Ava's hand. "It will never be your fault. [i]You[/i] are Ava, and [i]I[/i] am Liz. [i]We[/i] are friends." Liz was glad to see Ava weakly smiling through her tears. "Got that?" she quasi threatening continued. 

Ava looked up, a smile playing around her lips. "Ay-ay captain," she replied, and mocked a salute. Then she burst out in laughing, getting rid of all the stress she'd had in the last minutes. 

"So dorky," she giggled. 

Liz smiled back. "Yeah, kinda cornball, huh?" 

Michael just stood and watched his sister interact with her friend. When he'd heard that Avandra had killed Ailiana, he'd been angry with Ava, but Liz had been right. It wasn't Ava's fault, and she shouldn't carry the burden of it. He sighed. Liz made him a better man already.

When he watched the two girls burst out in a fitter of laughter, he couldn't suppress a smile. He loved it when his little sister laughed… He should try and make her laugh more often. 

He just laughed along with them, knowing that, when Maria saw them doing this, he would rise another step at her dorkiness-scale, but he was too content and too tired to even care.


	9. Chapter 8

[b]True Colors[/b]

[i]Chapter 8[/i]

"So… Does anyone want something to drink?" Liz asked, playing the perfect hostess. Ava shook her head, still softly giggling. 

It had been a long time since she'd felt so good. She thought back on Avandra's times with Ailiana and Namra. She remembered how much fun it had been to gossip with them about the soldiers guarding the palace, or to seduce one of them. There had been times when they'd discussed more serious subjects, such as religion and life, but somehow they'd always ended up talking about Namra's favorite subject: boys. 

"You don't happen to have a Snapple, do you?" Michael asked. 

Liz shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she replied. "Maybe down in the restaurant." She walked to the front door, intending to go down and get some for Michael. 

"Liz!" Michael called after her. "You don't have to…"

"I want to," Liz said over her shoulder. "If you want a Snapple, then I'll get one." And she continued her way down.

"But…" Michael started to say, and it was Ava who cut him of this time.   
  
"No use, Michael," she said smiling. "Once Liz has taken something in her head, there's nothing that can make her change her mind and talk her out of it."

Michael reluctantly agreed with her, not at all pleased with his sister being stubborn. He already had to cope with a cocky girlfriend, and now he also had a pig-headed sister… 

What did he do to deserve this? 

He smiled though, knowing that he was all too happy about having a sister. 

Ava and he waited in a comfortable silence until Liz returned with a Snapple. 

"Shouldn't we call the others?" Liz asked. "They also need to know that Tess isn't to be trusted." 

She hesitated, then continued. "And about me being… different." 

Michael nodded and reached out to grab the phone, but Ava stopped him.   
  
"I don't think we should call them just yet," she resisted. 

Michael gave her a puzzled look. "Why not?" he wanted to know.

Ava put the phone back in it's holder and answered him, her voice insisting. "We'd better wait until Serena is here to help me train Liz's powers."

"But what about Tess?" Michael asked defiantly. "What if she tries to kill Liz again?"

Ava shook her head. "She won't kill Liz. Khivar wants her, so Tess won't kill her." 

"Oh, Khivar only [i]wants[/i] her? Why didn't you say that at once? There's nothing to worry about if he only [i]wants[/i] her." Michael sarcastically reacted. 

Ava wasn't surprised by his defensive behavior when it came to Liz. She'd actually expected this, and that's why she was certain he would agree with her plan. 

"Michael, nothing will happen to Liz until Khivar gets here. Nicholas and the other skins are afraid of the possible reprisals by you, Max and Isabel," she said. "They know you're stronger than they are. When Khivar arrives, however, he'll bring reinforcements with him, and they will be in the majority. You won't stand a chance then, unless Liz has retrieved all her earlier powers."

Liz hadn't said anything during the whole conversation, but decided now was the right time to speak up.

"If we're stronger than Nicholas and the others, then why don't we attack them right away?" she asked.

Michael nodded his agreement, but Ava shook her head once again. 

"We don't have the exact locations of where they're hidden. The only thing we know is their number, and their strength. If we'd kill Tess or let slip to her that we know about her betrayal, Nicholas and his men could easily kidnap Liz. Desperate needs lead to desperate deeds. Nicholas would do it, even when it would mean his downfall. He would be killed by Khivar anyway, when he'd find out that his mission has failed. Tess cannot and must not find out. She mustn't." Ava insisted. 

Liz nodded, understanding. "But we can tell the others, right?" she wondered out loud. 

"No," Ava answered. "You cannot tell anyone, not even Max. When you would, you'd get back together again." 

Ava winced inside when she saw Liz's sad look, but knew she had to continue. She wouldn't take the chance that something would happen to Liz. She didn't want to be held responsible for her death once more. 

"You [i][b]can't[/b][/i] be together for now. Tess will notice it when Max chooses to deny his so-called destiny. She gets jealous very easily and I cannot stand in for her actions when she does. At least, I know that Avandra used to get jealous easily," she said, a wave of guilt hitting her. 

Liz seemed to notice, and softly squeezed Ava's hand. Ava gratefully smiled at her, and was concerned when Liz didn't smile back at her, but instead looked absent-minded in the distance. 

"It won't be hard to keep Max away," Liz said softly. "I've pretended to sleep with Kyle, in order to get him to turn away from me. It worked." 

She looked up at Michael, smiling a little. Michael knew better, though. Her eyes weren't smiling along, but expressed all the sadness she was feeling at the moment. 

Michael shook his head. "That will no longer work," he said, feeling sorry for his sister, knowing she'd have to do something even more painful than she'd already done. "Maria told me about Max's little visit from the future." 

When he saw the look of betrayal on her face, he quickly defended his girlfriend. 

"I had to squeeze it out of her, though. She didn't want to tell me at first, but I kept insisting." 

After another fast glance at Liz he continued.

"I told Max this night. I managed to convince him to not go to you. That's why I came to you tonight. I wanted to make you see that you and he [i]had[/i] to be together. You don't belong apart." 

He sighed, knowing that Liz had to held up the whole charade a little longer.

"What do you mean with a 'little visit from the future'?" Ava curiously asked, having listened to their conversation with growing interest. 

"Max used the Granolith to travel through time," Liz answered her. "He came back to me, a few weeks ago, from fourteen years in the future. He needed me to help him fall out of love with me."

Ava looked confused. "He needed [i]you[/i] to help [i]him[/i] fall out of love with [i]you[/i]?" she said, while trying to comprehend what was being said. 

When Liz nodded she asked, still not completely understanding: "Why?"

Liz sighed. "I'm not even sure if it's still true," she responded, "but he said that because of me and him being together, Tess would leave. According to him, they had been created as a four-squad, and when Tess left, they were no longer strong enough to fight the skins. The world would come to an end, all because of us." Liz sighed once more. "I no longer know what to believe and what not to believe."

Ava absently patted Liz on the back, obviously deeply immersed in thoughts. 

"As far as I know," she began, "is the Granolith not able of enabling time-travel. Serena mentioned once to me that time-travel isn't possible at all." 

Ava had heard about it from Lonnie and Rath, who knew it from Nicholas that Khivar was doing research about time-travel. So she had asked Serena about it, worried that time-travel indeed was possible, and Khivar would be able to get that power. Serena had calmed her down and told her that such a thing could never be possible.

She looked down at Liz, who was now being held by Michael. "If what you said was true, and Max did come back, wouldn't he have gone back to stop Tess from leaving? And besides, she already was on Khivar's side long before. Max was bound to know that fourteen years in the future, now wasn't he?" 

She stared at both Michael and Liz, expecting some sort of answer or reaction, but when she got none, she continued. 

"Max will come back to Liz, won't he?" she asked, this time not really expecting a reaction. "You'll have to stop him from doing that, Michael," she said. "Think of anything that could help." Then turning her gaze at Liz, she said: "In the meantime, we'll try and find out if this whole occurrence wasn't just one big mindwarp. It is a possibility, but if Tess was able to make you believe this, she must be even stronger than I feared…"

Ava gestured to Liz's bedroom. "C'mon," she said, "let's go in there while Michael thinks of a way to deceive Max." 

"Wait!" Michael called at them. "You aren't leaving me here to think about a way to get Loverboy fall out of with Liz, are you? That's just imp… wait! Liz! Please? I'm your brother for Christ's sake! Liz!" 

Liz stood up and followed Ava, ignoring Michael's protests laughingly, despite the seriousness of the moment. 

It was very obvious that Michael had spent [I]way[/I] too much time with Maria…


	10. Chapter 9

[b]True Colors[/b]

[i]Chapter 9[/i]

Maria hummed the melody of a popular song when she entered the Crashdown. She was a little bit late for her shift, but since the Parkers were away for the first weekend of the holidays, she didn't think that bad about it. Liz was in charge now, and she was sure that her friend wouldn't be as mad at her as her dad would have been. 

Everything between her and Michael was cleared up. They were together again, at least, according to her they were an item. Yesterday night, Michael had to leave a little abruptly, but Maria wasn't worried. She had Michael winded around her finger again. He was hers once more, and this time, she'd make sure that no one would come between them. No one.

"Hey Maria!" Liz greeted her.   
  
Was that nervousness in Liz's voice? Maria wondered. Nah. Liz was never nervous. She was probably imagining it. Not something very unusual.  

After greeting Liz back, she went to the backroom with Liz on her trail.   
  
She quickly changed in her uniform, and while putting her antennae's on, she peeked into the kitchen. "Is Michael already here?" she asked Liz.

"Yeah," was Liz's answer. "He had the early shift." 

"Good," she said. "I just need to establish something."

Liz looked curiously at her and Maria saw her following her to the kitchen. 

She put her arms around Michael, embracing him from behind. One hand closed itself over his eyes, blocking his sight.   
  
"Guess who?" she whispered in his ear, happy that she was able to do this again.

"Uh…" Michael said. "Amanda… if it's you, you'll have to leave soon. My girlfriend can be here any minute."

Maria giggled, glad that Michael had referred to her as his girlfriend, and playfully slapped him on his arm. 

"Ouch! That hurts!" he whined and he pretended to be in real pain. 

"Aw… Poor boy…" Maria soothed him. "Where does it hurt? Let me kiss the pain away…" She caressed his face and softly kissed him on his neck. 

She found it strange that he pulled away when he noticed Liz standing in the door opening, but thought nothing of it. 

She gave Michael one last kiss and then traded the kitchen in for the main area of the Crashdown. It wasn't really busy yet, and after serving two meals, she had nothing to do.   
  
Liz walked over to her, and Maria was grateful for that. She could get bored very easy, and right now, she really needed someone to talk to about her and Michael's reunion. She would have to leave her confession about Future Max out of it, though. 

Or maybe she shouldn't. Maybe she'd better tell Liz at once. The truth always found a way to the light, after all. Like that one time she had stolen her mother's make-up and used it to decorate her Barbie-dolls. Her mother had found out about that, too, hadn't she? 

Uh-oh. 

There was Liz. She hadn't much time left to make a decision. 

"Hey," Liz said.

"Hey," Maria chirped, still unsure of what to say and what not to say. She was in such a dilemma that she didn't even notice that Liz was tucking a few lost strands of hair behind her ear, a sign that she was [i]very[/i] nervous. Should she tell her or not? 

'Choose Maria!' she ordered herself. 

Argh! 

Where was her cedar-oil when she needed it most?

"Maria, I…" Liz began hesitantly, and Maria looked up, alarmed by the uncertainty in Liz's voice. 

  
"Umm…" Liz tried once more. "You remember what I told you yesterday?" She bent over to Maria and softened her voice a little. "About Future Max?" she continued. 

Maria nodded, feeling immensely guilty. Did she already know? How? Michael had promised her to tell no one about it… He wouldn't… She throw a look at the kitchen, finding Michael staring at her, and after meeting her gaze, he guiltily looked down at the counter. He had! He was [i]soooo[/i] dead! She would flay him alive, make him eat her disreputable fish-dishes and wear pink shirts to school. She would… 

"Earth to Maria…" 

She suddenly became aware of Liz calling her name and waving her hand in front of her face.   
  
"Sorry, I just… zoned out," she mumbled, afraid of what was bound to come. She had betrayed the trust of her friend, had broken their oath of secrecy and would pay for it. 

"No big deal," Liz said. 

"Listen, Maria, about what I said… It wasn't true. I…" Liz paused, obviously looking for the right words. "I was lying," she continued. "The whole Future-Max-thing was just one big lie. I was so ashamed about what had happened, and I…"

"Wait," Maria broke her of. "There never [i]was[/i] a Future Max? You made it all up?" 

Liz nodded, looking truly sorry and scared. 

  
"Then why did you tell me there was?" Maria asked, trying to control her anger and hurt.

Liz looked to the ground, then into the dining area, and then back to the ground again. When she started talking, she finally looked at Maria.

"Kyle… Kyle and I were… We were drunk… I…" Liz stumbled over her words.

"You were [i]drunk[/i]?" Maria asked perplexed. Liz Parker, valedictorian and goody-two-shoes had been drunk? And she hadn't been there with her friend when she'd gotten drunk for the very first time? "You were [i]drunk[/i]? she said again, still not fully comprehending it.

"Shhh…" Liz hushed her. She looked around, checking if there was anyone who might have heard Maria's words.

"Yes," she continued. "We were drunk. I was very upset about Max and all, and Kyle comforted me. One thing led to another, and well… I wanted to tell you, but I was so ashamed. It, I, I don't know what to do…" she said, panic noticeable in her voice, tears glistening in her eyes. 

Maria's mother instinct won it from her anger and hurt, and she put her arm around Liz.   
  


"Shh… It's alright, chica… Don't worry…" she looked at Liz's face, and saw more pain in her eyes than she could have ever imagined. She was truly worried about Liz now, and the pain Liz's lies was already forgotten. 

"C'mon sweetie…" she whispered, and took Liz to the backroom.

She looked around, seeing a few new customers waiting for a waitress. They would have to wait. Taking care of Liz was more important right now. She noticed Michael looking at her, approving of what she was doing. 

Strange. 

Since when did he care for Liz? Yes, he had been nice to her lately, but his expression of worries for Liz was exceptional. She felt jealousy welling up in her, but quickly pushed that feeling away. Liz was in pain and needed help.

She supported Liz to her bedroom and helped her change into her pajamas. She took a few stuffed teddy bears from the wardrobe and put them in bed next to Liz. Then she sat down on the bed.

"Did you use, you know, birth-control?" Maria asked, worried that that might be the reason why Liz was so upset. 

Liz shook her head, then nodded and shook her head again.   
  
Maria chuckled softly and brushed the hairs of Liz's forehead away. "Well, what is it? Yes or no?"

"No," Liz replied and shook her head.

"Are you…" Maria sighed. There was no easy way to ask this. "Are you pregnant?" she asked, hoping that she didn't sound too paranoid. 

Liz fervently shook her head. "No!" she said. "No. I'm not." 

Maria breathed out in relief. 

"So…" she began, a mischievous smile playing around her lips. "How was it? Did it hurt?"

Liz smiled weakly. "I… I don't remember…" she answered. 

Maria was amazed. Liz had been to drunk to even [i]remember[/i] what had happened? This was [i]sooo[/i] not Liz-alike…

Then she thought back on the confession she had to make to Liz.   
  
"Liz…" she started, and then decided that she'd better say it at once. "I told Michael. About the Future-Max-thing." She looked at her best friend, relieved to see that she didn't seem mad or surprised. "I'm sorry. I know I promised you I wouldn't tell anyone, but Michael…"

"It's okay, Maria," Liz interrupted her, and smiled tiredly. 

"I'd better go down now. The customers are probably trying to strangle Michael to get some food…" she joked.

"And you, girlfriend," she said in her best Arnold-voice. "You are going to sleep. Now. At once."

Liz smiled again, a genuine smile this time. Maria smiled back and patted her on the head. She softly closed the door, but not before casting one last glance at Liz, not she wasn't surprised to find that Liz was already deep asleep. 


	11. Chapter 10

[b]True Colors[/b]

[i]Chapter 10[/i]

Max entered the Crashdown nervously, unsure of Liz's reaction on Michael's revelation. Would she understand that they belong together? It must be pretty obvious when even Michael realized it… 

He smiled when he saw her walking towards Maria, but his smile weakened when he noticed how flustered she looked. There were bags under her eyes, and her hair had lost some of it's glance. A wave of guilt hit him when he realized that this might all be his fault. That she was so sad because of what he had said to her, what he had done to her. He wanted to smack himself on the head for being so mean to her. She didn't deserve this, especially not when the whole future-thing Michael told him was true. 

Someone bumping into him from behind shook him out of his trance. He turned around and apologized to the girl, vaguely recognizing her from his Biology Class. It wasn't his fault that he didn't remember her, though. That was entirely Liz's fault. When he sat next to her in Biology, he could only concentrate on her, and didn't notice anybody else of his class. 

He frowned. Did the girl's face just became a shade of darker red? It must be warmer in here than he thought. He heard the girl whispering some sort of apology back and he smiled weakly at her.   
  
When he focused his thoughts on Liz again, he found her standing with Maria, obviously very upset. He started to walk towards them, but after that Maria had looked around the restaurant, and hadn't noticed him, she'd helped Liz to the back. Liz was crying. He was sure of that now. He could feel her hurt and agony, and he shook his head, chastising himself for not paying more attention to her feelings through their connection before. He'd swallowed himself in self-pity and didn't think of the possibility that she also might be hurt. 

He sat down in his usual booth in the Crashdown. It was his favorite booth because of several reasons, the most important being that it was in Liz's section. He saw Michael looking at him with a strange expression on his face. It almost seemed compassion or sorrow to Max… Why would that be?   
  
And then Max knew. Michael hadn't been able to convince Liz that they could work things out. He nodded slightly back at Michael, gesturing a greeting, and was about to walk up to him, and ask him how his conversation with Liz had went, but changed directions when he saw Maria coming down. 

She looked confused, and a little worried. Would something have happened to Liz? 

"Is Liz okay?" he immediately asked her, shooting agonizing looks at the backroom. 

"Hi Maria!" Maria replied. "How are you? You look amazing today!" She planted her hands on her thighs. Max sighed. "Hi Maria!" he said, trying to imitate her fake-cheerful voice as good as possible. "How are you? You look amazing today… How is Liz?" 

Maria pouted. "You could at least try and say it as if you mean it," she said. 

Max smiled at her. "I'm sorry. I'm just really worried about Liz. Is she okay?" he asked concerned.

Maria nodded her head at the backroom. "She's asleep now. She was really upset."   
  
Max sighed. Maria wouldn't give him any more information if he wouldn't tell her what he knew, he was sure of that. 

"I know," he confessed. "I know about Future Max or something, and I want to go up and tell Liz that we'll be able to get Tess to stay. Please, Maria," he begged her, "let me see her?"

Maria stood in front of him, mouth agape. "Michael told you, didn't he?" she angry concluded. Max swallowed. Michael would be in for a treat later… He felt sorry for his friend, but it was more important that he would see Liz at the moment. Suddenly, another voice joined in their conversation. 

"Yes Maria, I told him. I also told Liz about it, believing that it was true." Michael said. 

Max swiveled around. "You mean to say that what you told me [i]wasn't[/i] true?" he asked amazed. 

Michael didn't have the chance to answer him, since he was being hit by a very angry Maria. The customers of the Crashdown watched the whole scene, amused with Michael's pleas for mercy and Maria's angry threats. 

After a few minutes Michael joined Max's side again, mumbling something like 'what did I do to deserve this?' and then shriveling under Maria's death glare.   
  
Max cleared his throat. "So… What you said about Liz… Is it true, or isn't it?" he asked, fearing the answer. 

Maria shook her head, remorsefully. "It was a lie. Liz told me that story because she was ashamed. She was very upset about something [i]you[/i] had done," she said pointing at Max's belly, "and got drunk. Kyle comforted her, and…" she paused, wondering how Liz had put it, "…and one thing led to another. She's so confused about it all…" She glanced at Max, hoping that he wouldn't take it too bad. 

Max looked deeply immersed in thoughts, and he shook his head. "Why would she have made up such a story? It would have even been too far-fetched for you to make it up."

Maria shot him an angry look. "Friendly today, aren't we?" she said. 

She sighed. "Look, I don't know why she made it up. All I know is that she's immensely hurt at the moment."

Max carefully pushed her out of his way, intending to go up and see Liz when Michael stopped him.   
  
"Where do you think you're going?" he growled. 

Max looked at him in surprise. Since when did Michael care so much about Liz? He saw that Maria was also surprised. He thought he saw jealousy flicker in her eyes, but he wasn't sure. Why would she be… Suddenly it dawned to him. Maria thought that Michael and Liz… He had to stifle a laugh that was welling up. Michael and Liz? Hmpf… Yeah, right, and he was the Pope… 

"I'm going upstairs to check on her," he said, realizing that Michael was still waiting for an answer, "and tell her I'm sorry."

Michael shook his head. "She needs her sleep, Maxwell. It can wait. You'll see her later," he said, the tone of his voice making clear that he didn't tolerate any contradiction. 

"I [i]need[/i] to see her, Michael," Max stressed. "It can [i]not[/i] wait." He looked at an unmoved Michael. "Please?" he begged his friend.

Michael glanced at him, and this time Max was sure there was sorrow in his eyes.   
  
"Okay," he agreed. "But you can't stay too long. I'll go first and ask if she's ready to see you, okay?"

He didn't wait for Max's reply, but just mounted the stairs. 

"Whatever," Max mumbled, not pleased at all with Michael's sudden interest in Liz.


	12. Chapter 11

Once again, no A/N… 

Barely managed to write this part, but I just had to do it for all my faithful bumpers (you know who you are [smile]), even though I have very little time… So, this part is dedicated to you guys… 

Ahum… 

Enjoy… [wink]

I know I promised Max and Liz would meet again in this part, but they don't… 

[img]http://images.deviantart.com/emoticons/icon_boo.gif[/img] 

Wait! Wait! 

I made this part *dodges another tomato* extra long so *ouch!* it would *splash!* make up for that!

*wipes the tomato juice off of her head* 

Phew.

  
Okay, so here it goes…  Chapter 11!!! 

Hope ya all like it… [img]http://images.deviantart.com/emoticons/icon_juggle.gif [/img]

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[b]True Colors[/b]

[i]Chapter 11[/i]

Ailiana let out a deep breath of relief. That went well. She had lost the soldiers without any problem. Okay. What should she do next? She wasn't going to escape out of the palace, no way! She wasn't going to leave Iria behind. Iria was like a mother to her, and she loved her more than anyone else. Iria was all that Ailiana had, and she planned on keeping it. 

Shooting a glance in the hallway in front of her, she saw a few servants scrub the floors. A plan waved itself in her mind, and a few minutes later she went looking for some sort of official room or an important man in the palace. 

An hour later, she was sure she'd strolled through this hall twice before. She lent back into the wall and let herself slowly slide down. She was desperate. The castle was a labyrinth, a maze of little hallways and passages, stairs and balconies. She put her head in her hands, and was thinking of a possible next move when she suddenly felt an arm on her back. She stood up, alarmed and fearing that she was discovered. 

She stood eye to eye with a short maid. Her eyes were a shade of bright blue, and shone with friendliness. 

"Are you okay?" she asked, obviously worried.

"Yeah…" Ailina surprised replied, not used to this kind of attention by anyone besides Iria. 

"I'm Namra," the girl told her. "What's your name?" 

Ailiana blinked once. She couldn't tell Namra her real name. 

"I'm Lana," she quickly decided, and smiled shyly at Namra, ashamed of lying to her so soon already.

"Nice to meet you, Lana," Namra said. 

"The pleasure is all mine," Ailiana responded, but the second she said it, she realized that it was far too polite for a servant girl. "My Lady," she said, hoping that Namra would think she was joking.

"Ah…" Namra answered, her blue eyes sparkling, "I'm glad that you recognized me in my disguise…" she laughingly said and winked at Ailiana.

Ailiana laughed back at her, and made up her mind. She decided she could trust this girl. Not with her secret, but she could ask her where she could find someone who would help her getting a job at the palace. 

"I'm kinda lost," she let Namra know. "I was actually hoping someone would have a job opening here, but I got lost…" she trailed off, looking at Namra intently. 

"You are?" Namra asked her. "What a coincidence! I was just on my way to Khivar to ask him for a replacement for Olivia." A sadness covered Namra's eyes, and when she spoke again, her grief was clearly noticeable in her voice. "She passed away last night…"

"I'm sorry," Ailiana softly said, but Namra shook her head. 

"It was better this way," she replied. "Olivia was old, and she didn't suffer too much."

She wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes away, and smiled weakly at Ailiana.   
  
"I'm sure that Lady Avandra will let you take Olivia's place. She's very nice, you know… Not as cruel as Khivar is…" 

She took Ailiana by the hand. "C'mon, I'll show you to her, okay?" Ailiana nodded, and eagerly followed Namra, happy to have made a new friend so soon.

When they arrived at Avandra's room, Namra tapped softly at her door. "My lady?" she asked.   
  
"Come in!" Ailiana heard a female voice call. 

She timidly followed Namra into the room, and stared her eyes out at the beautifully decorated room. 

"Namra, you're back soon!" a soft and friendly voice said. "Was Khivar that willing to provide me of a new maid?" she asked curiously.

"No my lady," Namra answered her. "I found this girl in the hallway, and she told me that she was looking for a job."

Namra pushed Ailiana in front of her. "C'mon, introduce yourself!" she hissed.

Ailiana looked back at Namra hesitantly, and then looked at the woman in front of her. Girl, really. She appeared to be just a few years older than she and Namra. She had bouncy blonde curls, and big blue eyes that were scrutinizing her intensely. 

"Eh…" Ailiana began, "I'm Lana…" she introduced herself. 

"Just Lana?" Avandra asked, amusement visible in her smile. 

"Just Lana," Ailiana confirmed. 

Avandra smiled. "Do you have any experience?" she asked.

Ailiana shook her head remorsefully. "I can learn, though," she quickly added. 

Avandra nodded, and seemed deep in thought for a few moments.  "I like you…" she said, pondering. "We have to do something about your appearance, though," she continued, looking distastefully at Ailiana's dirty clothes and muddy face.

Namra enthusiastically nodded along, and looked mischievously at Avandra. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" she asked, a naughty sparkle in her eyes. 

Avandra shot a look at Ailiandra and then looked back at Namra. "If it is what I think you're thinking…" she answered in an ominous tone.   
  
Ailiandra's looks switched back and forth between Namra and Avandra. She didn't like the sound of this. She didn't like it at all…

Namra gave a squeal of delight. "Makeover!" she exclaimed as she grabbed a mirror of a closet. She smiled at Ailiandra and showed her the mirror.

 "The before picture…" she said as she held it in front of her. "Keep it in mind!" she whispered in Ailiandra's ear as she took the mirror away.

Ailiandra looked helplessly at Avandra, only to find her picking out a new dress, shoes and taking a pair of scissors out of a drawer. 

"Wait!" she exclaimed, panicking, "What are you going to do? Guys?"

She swallowed as she saw Avandra approaching her with the scissors. The anticipation of having them tangled in her hair sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't want this. The last time her hear had been cut had been horrible…

She couldn't sit still, and Iria had cut her in her ear instead of her hear. Ailiandra had screamed fire and murder, and even after Iria had healed her ear, she had kept screaming. Her hair hadn't been cut ever since… 

She gave Namra a scared look, and when she saw her smiling encouragingly back at her, she sighed, closed her eyes and quickly said a prayer. When the scissors raked through her hair she stiffened, but when nothing happened she started to relax again. Maybe this makeover thing wasn't so bad after all… 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael quickly ascended the stairs, walked through the Parker's residence and opened his sister's door without knocking. He was startled when he saw Liz glowing again. What should he do now? Ava had left this morning for Seattle, something about a meeting with Serena, who would be arriving soon. They had kept contact by dream-walking each other and Ava would welcome Serena and take her back to Roswell, so she could help Liz training her newfound powers. 

So here he was. No Ava to help him this time. 

He remembered what Ava had told him, about never [I]ever [/I] disturbing the Awakening. He sighed and pondered over his dilemma. Should he go back and tell Max that Liz wasn't ready to see him yet? He was sure that Max wouldn't take 'no' as an answer. Should he touch Liz, then? 

No. 

He couldn't risk anything if it concerned his little sister. He sighed. He'd better leave to face Loverboy, then…   
  
He opened the door, intending to leave when the glow slowly faded away and he heard Liz softly speak.

"Michael?" 

Her voice sounded confused, and hoarse from the dryness in her throat. 

"Hey sleepyhead!" he greeted her. "How do you feel?"

"Better," Liz answered, "a little bit tired, that's all." She sat up in her bed, and he walked over to her in order to put her cushion a little bit higher. 

"What did you see?" he curiously asked her.

Liz shook her head, probably to sort things out. "I escaped out of Khivar's dungeons, and this girl, Namra, helped me when I was lost…" she smiled, remembering how kind Namra had been. "She brought me to lady Avandra and they were about to…" she paused and shivered at the mere thought of it. 

"What?" Michael asked worriedly.

"They were about to… to give me a makeover…" Liz said, her voice filled with angst.

"That's all?" Michael asked relieved, and he visibly relaxed. 

Liz looked at him, her eyes wide. "That's all?" she asked in disbelief. "That's [I]all[/I]? Hello!" she exclaimed, her hand hovering in front of his face. "They were about to give me a [I]makeover[/I]! You should have seen Namra grinning at me…" She shivered once again.

"Namra…" Michael whispered, staring at a point in the distance. Liz nodded. 

"Do you remember her?" she asked curiously.

Michael frowned and closed his eyes. Namra sounded so familiar. An image of Maria appeared in front of his eyes. He shook his head. No. This wasn't Namra; this was Maria. He wanted to know who [I]Namra[/I] was. The image of Maria altered a little: Maria's eyes became more blue, her hair longer and some of her features changed slightly. 

'Namra,' Michael thought, his heart flooding over from all the love he felt for this girl. Somehow he just knew that he had loved her in his past life. He thought back on what Ava had said. "The Council chose to send your partners along, so you'd be stronger." 

Namra had been his partner in that life, he was sure of that. Would that mean that she had also been sent Earth? 

Again, he heard Ava's voice in his head. "Don't be afraid to feel, Michael." He smiled. He no longer feared to feel, and the image of Maria appeared in front of his eyes once more. 'Maria,' he thought happily. 'Maria.'

A slap on his head shook him out of his reverie. 

"Ouch!" he yelled, and for the second time that day, he faked pain. "That hurts, you know?"

Liz laughed teasingly. "Aw… Poor boy," she imitated Maria's earlier behavior. 

She pouted her lips and smacked them several times. 

"Want me to kiss the pain away?" she asked him, suggestively raising her eyebrows. 

She managed to keep a straight face all the time, but when Michael's face turned at least five different shades of red, she couldn't stifle her laughter any longer. 

"Very funny," Michael mumbled. "Just you wait, Lizzie Lizard… Ava happened to give me some very valuable information about you before she left…"

Liz's laughter slowly subdued to giggles as she expectantly looked up at him. 

"What did she say?" she curiously asked. 

Michael bended forward, pretending to whisper it in her ear, but at the same time, his hands reached for her sides.

"She said…" he whispered, but stopped to shoot anxious looks around the room. 

"She said," he continued, and yet again he inserted another long pause to check the room. 

"What?" Liz exclaimed impatiently. "What did she say?" 

Michael grinned ominously at her before continuing his sentence. "She said that you," he smiled, pointing at her, "were very, very ticklish…" he darkly whispered in her ear. 

Liz looked at him, her eyes opened wide in fear. 

"You wouldn't," she softly whispered. Michael diminished the distance that kept his hands separated from her sides. He smirked at her. 

"You don't know me that well, after all, now do you?" he asked her before launching himself on her.

The last few minutes of their interaction didn't went unnoticed, though. A certain very good-looking, very handsome young man, with [I]very[/I] soulful eyes witnessed everything…

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Reviews please? Pretty please with Jason on top? [img]http://images.deviantart.com/emoticons/icon_bye.gif[/img]


	13. AN Summary

**A/N:**   
  
Sorry guys, but I won't be able to post until tomorrow or Friday... The chapters I had in store have ran out, and I should go buying some new errands soon... Still have to go for shampoo anywayz...   
  
Lemme explain some things, okay? I know that the last few chapters have been pretty confusing, so I'm just gonna summarize what happened.   
  
Liz is Awakening. She was Royal in her past life, so she has powers. Maria and Alex have had a past life, too, but weren't Royal, and thus they hadn't any powers. This means that they won't be Awakening. You must see the Awakening as a way of retrieving powers, and at the same time, retrieving memories. I'm sorry if I was too unclear about this...   
  
I've decided with some help from the outside (a really liable source ) that Avandra will be 'semi-evil' . She was a friend of Ailiandra in the beginning, but when Namra and Ailiandra became closer, she got jealous. More things will happen (I know that some of you are pretty good guessers, but ) that will make her even more jealous of Ailiandra, causing her to co-operate with Khivar, and in the end, murdering Ailiandra...   
  
Anywayz, the Ava from this lifetime is good, and wants to help Liz. She's sorry about what she'd done in her past life, and wants to be friends with Liz again. She's a little afraid (just like Isabel in the show) that she'll become like Avandra, but deep in her heart she knows that she won't... The dupes remembered their past lives pretty well, although Lonnie, Rath and Zan's memories were slightly altered so they would work with Khivar. Zan though, remembered something about Ailiandra and that's why he was always 'waiting for someone else'. Khivar thought it would be best to not change Ava's memories, for she had already been on his side in her past life, but he was wrong. Ava isn't Avandra, she's all the good things of Avandra, and has even some other good features.   
  
Liz and Michael are siblings, getting along pretty well. Max and Maria are getting jealous about that, but everything will be explained to them in later chapters.   
  
Ava and Liz found out (in the chapter that I haven't written ) that Future Max was a big mindwarp. At least, that's what I'm willing to believe. Max changed the color of the roses when he was serenading to her, in front of the eyes of a whole mariachi-band. I doubt it that the real Max would ever do something so stupid. So... Max never serenaded to her, and Liz was mindwarped into believing he did (needless to say, by Tess).   
  
Well, I hoped that explained a few things.   
  
Please don't forget to review? Please? (Not necessarily for this A/N, but for chapter 11, or the whole story)...   
  
Okay, gotta go now, still have to and go to school on my bike... It's snowing... ...   
  
Love ya all,   
  
Katie


	14. Chapter 12 A

Hi everyone!  

I'm sorry about using the wrong html-codes before, so you had to read between the [i] en [/b] thingies… I'm also posting this fic at Roswellfanatics, and those are the correct html's on that site. I'll try to prevent this from happening in the next chapters, okay? : )

For **moonlight angel** and those others who asked where Isabel and Alex were, please have patience… Alex is still in Sweden at the moment, and I haven't had any reason to mention Isabel just yet. They will come along in chapter 13 or 14, though…  : )

Thank you all for your wonderful feedback!!! 

That's what I'm writing for… 

Without further ado… Chapter 12…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

**True Colors**   
  
_Chapter 12_   
  
Max looked through the door opening and pushed the door a little further ajar. He was trying to suppress the feelings of hate, jealousy, betrayal and hurt that were fighting to get his attention.   
  
His best friend. His very best friend. His _best_ friend for all of his life.   
  
With Liz…   
  
The girl he had loved for ages. His _soulmate_. His _meant-to-be_…   
  
Michael knew how much she meant to him, how much she would always mean to him. How much he loved her, and would always love her.   
  
When Max had first confessed his love for Liz to Michael, Michael had laughed at him, in his face. He had told Max that it wasn't possible and that it could never be. He'd told him that they couldn't be with humans, that it would be too dangerous, and Max had half-heartily agreed with him.   
  
Michael had tried to discourage him, but with no avail. And now Max saw Michael here, tickling _his_ Liz, touching her where he could no longer touch her, making her laugh, whereas all he succeeded in was making her cry. They looked extremely close, and their feelings for each other were pretty obvious. Care, friendship, love…   
  
Max sighed sadly. How could Michael do this to him? Yesterday night, Michael had seemed so determined to reunite Liz with Max, to help him.   
  
And how could Liz do this to him? Or to Maria, for that matter?   
  
He looked up. Liz had won the romp, and was presently pinning Michael to the bed.   
  
Max _soooo_ didn't need to see this, but found himself unable to avert his gaze. Liz looked enticing and incredibly sexy in her flannel pyjamas, heavily breathing for air, with her hair all messed up. A faint blush adorning her lovely face and her eyes already spoke the words of victory before she uttered them.   
  
Max heard Liz's triumphant voice, her words slowly drifting to him, begging him to join her.   
  
"Still so sure about being able to handle me?" he heard Liz ask Michael sarcastically, a lopsided grin matching her words.   
  
Michael mumbled something Max couldn't quite hear, but the tone of his voice was sufficient. Michael admitted that he had been defeated. Max perched his ears.   
  
Michael was admitting his bereavement? _Michael_?   
  
Something was not right about this; something was really wrong. Michael never admitted to be defeated. _Never_.   
  
Liz squeezed an apology out of Michael, and when Michael mumbled something inaudible – Max assumed it was an apology – Liz rose off of the bed.   
  
"So…" Max heard her hesitantly ask Michael. "What were you doing here?"   
  
Michael stood up and raked his hand through his hair. "Max wants to see you," he replied. "He's waiting downstairs."   
  
The changes in Liz's facial expressions didn't went unnoticed by Max. He used to be able to read Liz as an open book, but right now he couldn't decide whether it was guilt or hope he saw glimmering in her eyes.   
  
'Of course she feels guilty,' Max wryly thought. 'She deserves to feel guilty,' he told himself. 'Someone has to feel guilty about sleeping with an ex-boyfriend in a drunken fit, and then she goes and has her way with my best friend. She has every right to feel guilty.'   
  
He was trying to convince himself as well as possible, but it didn't work. All his thoughts went out to Liz when he noticed the sadness in her voice. He saw that it hadn't been guilt, nor hope he had seen glistening in her eyes. Tears. She was crying. She was crying because of him once again.   
  
He saw Michael reaching out and comforting Liz, holding her in ways Max could only dream of. Wiping away her tears, soothing her and loving her. Loving her as Max used to do.   
  
"I can't face him, Michael," she whispered.   
  
"Look at me," she said while pointing at herself. "The mere mention of his name already makes me cry. I don't…" she started, and then paused to take a deep breath.   
  
"I can no longer see him, Michael. I can't do this." Liz sighed tiredly, evoking more and more feelings of compassion from both Max and Michael.

  
"I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to keep this from him…" she said, looking Michael firmly in the eye.   
  
Her words confirmed Max's earlier suggestions and thoughts. 'Guilt', he told himself.   
  
Instead of being happy because she was supposed to feel guilty, he felt guilty himself. Guilty for being the one who made her feel guilty, guilty for making her cry. Guilty for not being good enough for her. It was ridiculous, he knew that, but he couldn't help it.   
  
He remained deeply, madly and hopelessly in love with Liz, despite of what his common sense told him. His heart begged reason with his head, while his head chastised his heart for its weakness. His internal dilemma drove him crazy, and in order to escape the turmoil that was his feelings, he took a step forward. A step towards Michael and Liz, a step closer to his deem. He suddenly felt the need to expose himself, to let them knew he was there, that he knew.   
  
Both of tem looked up surprised when he entered the room, their discomfort etched on their faces.   
  
"Max…" Liz softly whispered, her voice resounding in the previously silent room, her voice sounding like a plea to him.   
  
Max ignored the feelings she stirred in him, the way she encouraged the turmoil to move harder, faster. The way she ignited a fire inside of him, burning for her, just for her, burning to never be extinguished.   
  
Max ignored it all, and angrily eyed Michael, who was currently nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. The thought that he had never seen Michael so nervous came to Max's mind, but evaporated as fast as snow dissolving in a blazing sun when Michael spoke to him.   
  
"I told you to stay downstairs till I got back, Maxwell."   
  
Max scratched behind his left ear and narrowed his eyes.   
  
"I waited, Michael," he responded. "I waited for five minutes."   
  
Michael balled his fists, and on his turn, he also narrowed his eyes.   
  
"What did you hear?" he roared, unconsciously placing himself in front of Liz, nearly blocking her from Max's sight.   
  
"Enough," Max replied. "I know, Michael." He helplessly looked at Liz. "I just don't understand…" Shifting his gaze between Michael and Liz, he asked the question that was really bothering him.   
  
"How long has this been going on?"   
  
Liz looked down at the floor, her hands nervously pushing a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear.   
  
Max gazed at Michael. "I trusted you, Michael," he accused him. "I trusted you with my life. I thought you were my friend, but friends don't do these things to each other. A friend doesn't have a relation with the girl he knows his friend loves. Friends just don't do such things, Michael."   
  
The calm and emotionless tone of his voice even surprised himself. Sure, the betrayal was audible, but the anger and the jealousy were securely hidden under layers and layers of calmness and coolness.   
  
The confused and not understanding looks on Michael and Liz's faces confused Max. Hadn't he been clear? He was confident that he had made his point very clearly. Should he spell it out to them? They weren't that dense, now where they?   
  
Obviously they were.   
  
Both of them were gaping at him, looking at him as if he just told them he was an alien.   
  
"What do you mean?" Michael groggily asked him.   
  
Max furrowed his brow and shook his head. What did Michael mean?   
  
Suddenly, Michael's face lit up with understanding as realization finally started to dawn on him.   
  
"Wait a sec. You didn't think that we," he said, pointing at himself and Liz, "were together, now did you?" he asked, smirking at the mere thought of it.   
  
"You know," he elucidated his earlier words, "as in together 'together'?"   
  
Max was surprised by the look of relief on Michael's face, and the one of disappointment on Liz's.   
  
Michael laughed out loud, but Max couldn't see the humor in all of it.   
  
Michael laughed even harder at the look of puzzlement on Max's face and walked over to him. He put his arm around his friend and tried to explain things.   
  
"Maxwell…" he began, "Dude… You didn't really think…" He laughingly shook his head. "I can't believe that you even considered it, that you seriously thought about it…"   
  
Max shrugged Michael's arm off his shoulders and tried to dissolve the fog in his head by shaking it a few times. He had tons of feelings at the moment, but confusion was definitely dominating all of them.   
  
If Michael and Liz weren't together, then why were they so close? What caused the guilt, the disappointment and the relief to appear on their faces? What were they keeping from him?   
  
"What's going on between you and Liz?" he voiced his thoughts, uncertain of his place in this play.   
  
Michael shrugged once. "I just recently realized how I felt for her…" he simply stated.   
  
Max broke him off. "But I thought you just said that you weren't…"   
  
Michael quickly cut him short this time. "I care for her, yes, and I love her, but as a sister." He smiled. "She's like Isabel to me, Max," he explained.   
  
"Like a sister?" Max asked him in disbelief. "Why?" he wanted to know. "Since when?" he asked Michael clueless.   
  
Michael grinned at him and somehow, his smile seemed a sort of wistful thought.   
  
"Since yesterday," Michael answered him, remorseful. "I was too afraid to feel before then. I liked Liz, but I wasn't willing to admit that I cared for her, that I loved her."   
  
"You are, now?" Max sceptically asked him.   
  
Michael nodded, confident of himself. "Yes, I am," he said, an authority in his voice that Max hadn't heard before, not even in their daily differences of opinion.   
  
"I am," Michael said again. "I love Liz, she is my sister."

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Please tell me what you thought about this chapter… Pretty please? Like I said before, any form of review is welcome… including flames… I like kind fb better, though… ; )


	15. Chapter 12 B

A/N: Okay, so I know you've all been anticipating Max and Liz's reunion, but I'm very sorry guys... No reunion in this chapter... I may have given the wrong impression with the last line of part 12 a, and I'm very sorry for that... You'll see what will happen... :) True Colors  
  
Part 12 b  
  
Liz sent Michael a smile.  
  
There.  
  
He had said it.  
  
She'd never doubted her feelings for him, but she had been a little unsure about his feelings towards her. Now she knew that her fears had been groundless, and that he loved her just as much as she loved him.  
  
She shot a look at Max, who looked utterly confused with a hint of disbelief in his eyes.  
  
"What do you mean, Michael?" he asked, trying to comprehend what he had just been told.  
  
Michael put his hand on the small of Liz's back and smiled self- confidently. "What I meant to say was that I see Liz as my sister. Like I already told you, she's like Izzy to me." He looked down at Liz and smiled at her. "I love her," he confessed, without a trace of doubt or hesitation in his voice.  
  
Max looked like he'd seen a ghost, or worse if possible. Liz couldn't suppress the giggle that was welling up inside of her. It was a miracle to hear Michael say those words out loud. She hadn't thought that she'd ever live to see and witness the day that Michael would confess his love for someone, much less for her.  
  
Max was completely at loss for words and just shook his head, not understanding. He scratched the top of his left ear again: a nervous habit Liz had seen him do pretty often lately. He looked at her, silently asking her how she felt about this. She smiled reassuringly at him, trying to comfort him and let him know that she didn't mind Michael seeing her as his sister.  
  
Max scratched at his ear once again before finally speaking up.  
  
"Okay," he hesitantly said. "I'm glad that we established - eh - the way you... feel about her," he stated and nodded once.  
  
Michael nodded back at him. "Me too," he replied.  
  
Max gave him a small smile and turned towards Liz. "Could I... talk to you?" he asked her, and quickly added, "In private," while sending a few glances at Michael.  
  
Liz hesitantly looked at her brother, trying to gauge his opinion, and found him staring back at her. She nodded, almost imperceptibly, and Michael arched his eyebrow, non-verbally asking her if she was sure.  
  
When Liz gave him a positive answer, Michael raked his fingers through his hair.  
  
"Sure," he reluctantly said. "I'll be back within three minutes," he threateningly added, looking Max in the eye, trying to make sure he got that right.  
  
"Ten," Max responded, hoping for as much time in private with Liz as possible.  
  
"Five," Michael retorted. "Five minutes, and not a second longer," he said, the authority back in his voice again.  
  
Max nodded, still not entirely content with Michael's protectiveness, and not at all pleased with the outcome of their little negotiation.  
  
Michael shot Max a last challenging and threatening look before turning away and walking out of the bedroom.  
  
Liz nervously looked at Max. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to lie to him. He meant everything to her. He was her everything, her very existence, her whole world revolved around him. Quietly and suddenly he had crawled under her skin, and stolen his way into her heart, becoming the axis of her world. Lying to him felt like murdering herself...  
  
She weakly smiled. What was that saying by Vincent van Gogh again? Something like:  
  
"Love is something so positive, so strong, so true, that, for those who love, choking their feelings would be like murdering themselves."  
  
She sighed. That was exactly how she felt. One look in Max's beautiful amber eyes could heal her, but she couldn't allow herself to get lost once more. Besides, his eyes probably no longer shone with his love for her, but showed all his feelings of betrayal, hurt and anger. That wouldn't do her any good...  
  
"Liz..." Max softly said, his voice thick with emotions.  
  
She slowly looked up, against her better judgement, somewhat fearing what she'd find in his eyes, only to be surprised with her vision. Max didn't look at her disapproving or despising; it almost seemed like that old sparkle was back in his eyes. That old sparkle that told her that he loved her, and readily swim the seven seas for her. That sparkle that could make her knees go weak and feel all tingly inside.  
  
She took a step back towards her bed and gracefully sat down, trying to hide the effect he had on her, trying to hide her true feelings from him.  
  
"I...I just wanted to - eh - apologize for.. "  
  
Max sighed exasperatedly, obviously having a hard time trying to find the right words.  
  
"It's okay, Max," Liz hastily replied. "You don't need to apologize," she guiltily added. "You had every right to say..." she sighed, biting back the tears, "to say what you... what you said," she lamely finished, unable to speak the words he'd said to her.  
  
"No, Liz," Max shook his head fervently. "I didn't."  
  
He reached out for her, and gently pushed her chin up, looking her directly in the eye.  
  
"I didn't have the right to say those things," he genuinely said. He swallowed once, and shut his eyes. When he opened them again, the hurt had been carefully hidden behind the love he felt towards her.  
  
"Not even when you..." he turned his face away and looked at the bed she was currently sitting on.  
  
"Not even when you... were with Kyle..." he hoarsely whispered.  
  
Liz felt another pang of guilt and took a long, good, deep breath.  
  
"I'm sorry," she softly apologized. "I'm... I'm so sorry..."  
  
Max softly chuckled, causing Liz to look up, confused.  
  
She questioningly looked at him, and her puzzled look told Max that she didn't understand what was so funny.  
  
Max shook his head, a smile adorning his face.  
  
"I just told you that I had to apologize to you," he explained. "You're not supposed to say that you're sorry."  
  
Liz faintly smiled. "I am sorry, though," she told him. She looked him deeply in they eye. "For everything," she added, trying to tell him without words that she meant it. And she wasn't just talking about her little scene with Kyle; she really was sorry for everything. For lying to him. For hurting him, for keeping him at a distance. She was sorry and she intended on letting him know that.  
  
Max scratched the top of his ear again before asking Liz what she thought of Michael's sudden feelings for her, worrying that she wasn't okay with it. Liz smiled reassuringly at him.  
  
"It's okay, I guess," she confided him. "I've always wanted a brother, and Michael is really nice..."  
  
Max arched his eyebrow. "Don't you think that the two of you are rushing into this?" he wanted to know. "That this brother/sister thing is a little bit too... I don't know... Drastic?" he sceptically asked Liz. "I mean, just a few months ago the two of you could barely stand each other, and now you even call each other a sibling..." he slowly trailed off, giving Liz the time to consider everything.  
  
Liz nodded slowly, thoughtfully, before answering him.  
  
"Maybe we did over-haste things..." she said, taking the option in consideration, "but we are sure about our feelings." She sighed, and smiled, immersed in thoughts. "I know that this may sound dorky, but Michael really is like a brother to me," she said.  
  
"So..." Max began, demanding more clarity, "you are okay with all of this?" he asked, referring to Michael's behavior.  
  
Liz smiled and nodded.  
  
"That's... great," Max replied, the tone of his voice suddenly sounding deeper and more masculine than before.  
  
It wasn't until then that Liz noticed that during their conversation the distance between them had been diminished. The thin layer of air separating them became smaller within every second.  
  
Liz almost allowed herself to get lost in Max's eyes, but thought about averting her gaze just in time. When she looked away, Max huskily whispered her name, practically begging her to look at him. Unable to deny him anything, Liz obliged to his silent plea by turning her face back to his. His eyes met hers again, and he slowly approached her even further, his soft and very kissable lips hovering just a few inches away from hers.  
  
"Max..." she softly whispered his name. She had meant for it to sound resisting, but it came out like a plea, like she was begging him, beckoning him to come even closer.  
  
She could feel the small, warm puffs of his breath on her face, softly caressing her skin, her lips, and adoring her with fervent.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
Michael paced around in the living room, utterly displeased with the current silence in Liz's bedroom. Yes, it was better than moans, or screams, but this silence didn't sound that appealing either.  
  
He looked at the clock. They still had about 30 seconds, but he could cheat a little, right? It wasn't like they had been watching the time pass as he had.  
  
Michael resolutely walked to the door and opened it without bothering to knock.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------  
  
Liz slowly closed her eyes, anticipating the feeling of Max's sweet lips gently pressed against hers. His hand reached to cup her cheek, and he quickly crossed the last bit of distance left between them, unable to control his desires any longer.  
  
The tip of his tongue was just about to touch Liz's very inviting lips when he suddenly heard Michael's voice, rudely interrupting them.  
  
"Time's up, Maxwell," Michael loudly stated.  
  
Max reluctantly pulled away from Liz, shooting a furious glare at Michael. Liz did the same, but somehow she looked a little bit relieved.  
  
Max frowned. A few seconds ago, he had been sure that she had wanted to kiss him as badly as he wanted her.  
  
"I think you'd better leave now," Michael told Max. "Liz needs to sleep," he pointed out.  
  
Max slowly nodded, and after one last glance at Liz he left the bedroom to make his way down to the café.  
  
Liz let herself fall back on her pillow, sighing tiredly, tears stinging in her eyes. Michael sat himself down next to her and brushed the hairs off of her forehead. He placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head, tucked her in and also made his way downstairs, quietly closing the door behind him.  
  
He'd let Liz get some sleep now, knowing that she needed it. He just hoped that Ava would return with Serena soon, for he wasn't sure how much longer Liz would be able to stand lying to Max, and he himself wasn't too sure for how much longer he'd be able to keep Loverboy away from his sister. 'Yes,' he confirmed, immersed in thoughts, 'Ava'd better get back very soon...'  
  
------------------------------------------- So. What did ya think? I have a question, btw.  
  
What do you guys want in the next part? I promised that Isabel would get in it, but what else would you like (besides a direct M/L reunion)? More awakening-parts of Liz, or more memories of someone else in dreams? Isabel deciding to dreamwalk both Max and Liz and somehow linking their dreams together? NC-17, in that case? I've never written that before (duh. this is my very first fic. :D) but I can always try, right? And for the fanfiction.net-readers. NC-17 isn't allowed here, is it? I could write a R - rated version for you. :D If you'd like NC-17 just tell me, okay? Please let me know!!! Okay. I hope I've trained you well enough to get you leaving me some fb without the need to ask you. ;D I'll try to write the new part ASAP, but, of course, it depends on your decisions. Love, Katie 


	16. Chapter 13

I've been seriously neglecting the updates on this story, and I'm truly sorry for that!  
  
This part is a tad longer than usual, and I hope that it can make up for the lack of more frequent updates.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
True Colors  
  
Chapter 13 A  
  
Isabel waved with her hands, trying to get the nail polish to dry as fast as possible. She was sure that the deep purple color of her nails would look perfect in combination with that new lilac shirt she had bought at the mall last Friday.  
  
The nail polish quickly hardened - with some otherworldly help from Isabel - and pretty soon she found herself unoccupied. Her parents were in Tucson for the whole day, and Max was still at the Crashdown, probably drooling and making goo-goo eyes at Liz.  
  
Her gaze wandered around the room, and lingered on her desk, where a deep red notebook was hidden under a couple of schoolbooks. Isabel gently picked it up and wiped the imaginary dust off of the front. While walking to her bed and sitting down on it - in Indian Style - she carefully opened the book at December 15th.  
  
She didn't need to read what she'd written the last few weeks: ever since the beginning of October all she'd written about had been Alex.  
  
Alex, who currently was in Sweden because of the school exchange and wouldn't be home for Christmas.  
  
Alex, with his lame jokes and his sweet concern for her...  
  
Alex, who was always there for her, no matter how much she had hurt him.  
  
Alex...  
  
Her feelings towards him were very confusing and yet they were crystal- clear: she was in love with him, there was no doubt about that and she wasn't going to deny it any longer - not to herself, and not to the others - but she didn't want to be in love with him. She didn't want to depend on someone, to get attached to him when she knew that, eventually, she'd have to leave him.  
  
She didn't want to give him any false hope - she knew she had done that in the past - and she didn't want him to believe that there was a chance that they could be together. No matter how you'd put it, she was different, and couldn't give him the normal life he deserved to have.  
  
She sighed and inspected her fingernails. 'Admit it,' she told herself. 'You're still afraid to let him in, to show him the real you.'  
  
Maybe she should talk to Max about this, about how he and Liz were dealing with their alien 'inheritance', although she wasn't too sure if she'd be comfortable talking about these romantic feelings with her brother.  
  
Especially not when Liz was concerned. Max would get this dreamy, wistful look on his face, and either he would space out - at those times Isabel left him alone with his fantasies and dreams - or he would start talking non-stop about Liz. How beautiful she was, how sweet, how it was to kiss her. All the things Isabel really did not want to know.  
  
Her brother hadn't been doing that well, though, lately. Ever since they had gotten that message from their biological mother - she still didn't want to think of her as their real mother, somehow feeling as if she was betraying Diane - and Liz had left the cave, walking away from them, out of Max's life, he had been a different person.  
  
Somewhere during the holidays he had decided to get Liz back and had been so determined that Isabel had been sure that a part of the old Max had returned. A couple of weeks ago, though, his demeanor dramatically changed - once again caused by a certain Liz Parker - and he had become the same devastated person he had been before.  
  
Isabel was fed up with it, and had had enough of the melancholic lyrics and tones of the Counting Crows. She'd had enough of her brother acting as some sort of pod person, which - ironically enough - he was in reality.  
  
Max had seemed cured from whatever disease he had been suffering this morning, though. His eyes had been sparkling again, and a smile had adorned his face. She hoped that he and Liz had cleared the whole 'destiny'-thing up.  
  
She had to admit that she hadn't liked Liz in the beginning. Isabel had thought of her as an invader who was trying to steal her brother. She had wanted to protect Max from her, knowing that it was inevitable that he would get hurt, since things between them could never be.  
  
She had been proved wrong.  
  
Max and Liz grew closer, and Isabel got to know her better, and a friendship started to blossom between both of them. Isabel had come to like Liz, to appreciate her and see her as a friend and as the sister she never had. She even adopted one of Liz's habits.  
  
It had started as some sort of test, an experiment to see why Liz loved writing in her journal that much. Surprisingly enough, she found herself enjoying those long and silent one-way conversations with her journal. It worked as some sort of tranquilizer, a way to calm her down when her emotions got too intense or confusing. It was the perfect way to escape reality by analyzing it, dissecting it into little pieces that could be comprehended, that could make her understand life in a way she had never understood it.  
  
It seemed that, when she wrote in her journal, all of her deepest worries, feelings and thoughts flooded out of her, being absorbed by the journal, and it cleansed her from the anxiety and fear she used to have.  
  
She had grown to love the journal, and treasured it with every fiber of her being. To make sure that no one could read her deepest thoughts, fantasies and desires, she carefully locked it with he powers, for even though she hadn't written anything about her non-human status, it did contain secrets, things that were private and shouldn't be read by anyone but her.  
  
She took a picture of Alex out of her journal and languidly traced the lines of his face with her index finger. She missed him. A lot. She sincerely hoped that he was having a good time.  
  
A glance on her alarm clock told her that it was almost 11 AM. That meant it would still be very early in Sweden, and that led her to the very logical conclusion that Alex would be asleep. Maybe she could try and dreamwalk him, see him, although she wasn't sure she'd be able to reach him. She could always try, right?  
  
She slipped under the blankets of her bed, and propped a pillow under her head. After a good, deep sigh, she closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to get into the state between consciousness and sleep.  
  
Her mind was just about to turn blank, the first symptoms of the dream plane already showing in the corners of her mind, when she heard the Jeep pull up on the driveway. She let out an exasperated sigh. She'd almost found him. It had been just a matter of seconds until she would have been able to see Alex, talk to him, touch him.  
  
Maybe Max had brought Liz with him, knowing that their parents weren't at home, so he'd head straight to his bedroom. Isabel scrunched her nose, her expression one of disgust at the mere thought of it. At least they would leave her alone, give her the privacy she needed so that - when she'd be able to shut out any noise that could be caused by her brother and Liz - she could pay Alex a little visit.  
  
The sound of a single pair of footsteps in the hall and Max's voice rudely pulverized any hope she'd left.  
  
"Izzy? You home?"  
  
Isabel locked her journal and hid it under a couple of schoolbooks before she went down. She was ready to snap at Max, make a nasty comment for interrupting her, but all of her annoyance evaporated immediately when she was faced with the look on her brother's face. The smile that had been present all through breakfast that morning had abandoned his face, leaving it cold and lifeless. His eyes expressed his tiredness, and gave away that he was confused beyond words, and somehow disappointed.  
  
"Hey," he wearily said, and she noticed that he not only looked tired, but he also sounded tired.  
  
"Hey," she replied, and studied his face a little longer, praying that he was all right.  
  
"You okay?" she concernedly asked.  
  
Max looked up at her and rubbed his forehead and temples tiredly.  
  
"Yeah." he responded. "Just a little bit confused, you know?"  
  
Isabel didn't know what he meant, but just nodded, hoping that she - at least to him - would look very understanding.  
  
"Things didn't work out with Liz?" she cautiously asked, silently cursing herself for those nonchalantly uttered words when she noticed the hurt they caused in Max's eyes.  
  
Max averted his gaze, focusing at a point somewhere in the distance, its location just over Isabel's shoulder.  
  
"I don't know," he honestly said while looking back at her. "It's like I don't know her anymore. One moment, I'm sure that she still loves me, that she wants to kiss me just as badly as I want to kiss her, and then, a few seconds later, she acts so distant, as if nothing happened, as if she didn't feel anything," he sad, devastation very distinct in his voice, and he shook his head remorsefully.  
  
"I know she loves you, Max," Isabel told him, surprising both of them with her statement.  
  
"You think so?" he hesitantly asked her, hope lighting up in his eyes, a soft shimmer coating them with an even more amber tint.  
  
Isabel nodded, willing to reassure him. "Mm-mm," she confirmed. "Don't you see the looks she's giving you during History?"  
  
When Max looked at her with a queer expression on his face, obviously puzzled, she decided to elucidate her earlier words. "During Physics?"  
  
Max's questioning gaze didn't shift in another, more comprehensive one, and she shook her head, amazed by the oblivion he had lived in.  
  
"During any class, actually," she added. "She gives you those whenever she sees you," Isabel confided him.  
  
Max's eyes started to look more understanding, and she sighed, relieved that he finally understood what she was aiming at.  
  
"Liz gives me looks?" he asked her in awe, hope and disbelief equally present in his voice.  
  
Isabel sighed, her previous hope that he understood destroyed by that simple question. He wasn't that dense, now was he? She simply nodded to affirm his question, not in the mood to elucidate the subject any longer.  
  
"What kind of looks?" he eagerly asked her.  
  
She scrunched her nose again, in a rather ungraceful way. Did he really want her to answer that question? Did he really want to hear from his sister that a girl was giving him hot, passionate looks, filled with longing and desire? And Liz wasn't the only one who was giving him these looks. Half of the female population of West Roswell High swooned over him, gave him the same looks as Liz gave him.  
  
She sighed before answering him.  
  
"Secretive looks," she let him know, "looks of." she swallowed, and really did not feel the need to continue, so she trailed off, hoping Max wouldn't ask further.  
  
Max kept looking at her, still expecting an answer to his question, nearly forcing her to go on.  
  
"Looks of. of want," she said, for the lack of a better, of a more fitting word to use in front of her brother.  
  
Max's small smile morphed into a large, goofy one. It was a grin that was stretched from ear to ear, and it made him look more boyish, more like the old Max she used to know. He nearly jumped forward to hug her, almost crushing her with his firm grip.  
  
Isabel smiled awkwardly first, but her smile grew broader and broader, and she quickly hugged him back. Things hadn't been that great between both of them lately, especially not with the whole 'Vilandra'- thing, but right now it seemed as if everything was solved, and Isabel truly was happy for him. Her brother had returned. Strangely enough, she had come to love the I'm-oh- so-in-love-with-Liz-Parker-Max, and she found herself immensely glad to have him back again, despite the fact that she, once again, would have to listen to more of his worship-like talking about the girl.  
  
"I don't know what happened between the two of you," she told him, "but you have to get together again. You're so pathetic when you're apart. Both of you are," she finished her statement, her grin subduing into a sympathetic smile. If Max would leave now, she might still be in time to reach Alex.  
  
Max pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "You really, really think that I should get back to Liz's house?" he asked her, obviously wanting more certainty, desperately clinging to her words as a drunken man to his bottle of whisky.  
  
He trusted her, Isabel suddenly realized. He trusted her vision and opinion about one of the most important things in his life, and wanted, no, needed to hear her advice.  
  
A sudden pang of guilt hit her. Here she was, trying to jockey him out of the house for her own, pure selfish reasons, while he trusted her.  
  
"Yes, I do," she answered him.  
  
"She loves you, you love her; it's as simple two plus two," she clarified, not only trying to reassure Max, but also trying to soothe her conscience. She was right, now wasn't she? It was as plain as it could be, right? Boy loves girl, girl loves boy, so they should be together, and live happily after.  
  
Max hugged her again. "Thanks, Izzy," he whispered in her ear, "You're the best sister I ever could've wished for."  
  
He gave her a lopsided smile, a little bit embarrassed by this sudden revelation, and fastened the buttons of his jacket again. When he walked out of the house, towards his Jeep, Isabel called after him.  
  
He turned around, his gaze questioning.  
  
"You'd better give Liz some time to think about all of it, and walk to the Crash," she explained.  
  
Max nodded, seeing her point, and mouthed a thank-you to her. He hauled up his keys out of his pocket and tossed them towards her. Isabel was touched by the gesture. Max wasn't all too comfortable with her driving the Jeep, seeing as she had failed her driving test twice, and only passed the second time by using her powers and a little bit of her female charms. It was an exceptional occurrence that he was this willing to lend the Jeep to her. Maybe she should try and be nicer to him more often.  
  
She grinned at her own thoughts, finding them very selfish, but knowing that she didn't mean it like that. She cared for her brother, and didn't know what she'd do without him.  
  
'I'd probably drive more often in the Jeep,' she semi-wickedly thought.  
  
She caught the keys just before they could land on the floor and proudly showed them to Max, the keys dangling between her fingers.  
  
He clapped, quasi impressed by the 'stunt' she'd just pulled and waved his goodbye at her before stuffing his hands in his pockets and starting the rather long journey to the Crashdown, a determined look etched on his face.  
  
Isabel smiled and softly closed the front door, placed the keys on a shelf and climbed the stairs, making a beeline to her bedroom.  
  
A few minutes later she was completely oblivious to her surrounding, and if she would have been seen, one would have sworn she was deep asleep, her sophisticated features being graced with the dreamy smile playing on her lips. 


	17. Chapter 14

**True Colors**   
  
_Chapter 14_   
  
"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday… dear Ailiana, happy birthday to me…" Lana softly sang, silently whispering her name into the darkness. She had just watched the sunset, and was now surrounded by the beauty of the night, the stars and the five moons – _one_ of them full. She wasn't able to see Antar just yet, but it would appear soon enough, right below the third moon.   
  
The sun was down, and now that its warm rays no longer reached this part of Kravoo, it was getting chilly on Avandra's balcony. Lana slightly shivered. She always felt so lonesome, so forlorn on her birthday, somewhat disappointed with the lack of congratulations and celebrations. She hadn't told Avandra or Namra about her true identity, so there was nobody who knew that today was her birthday.   
  
Nobody knew that today was her eighteenth birthday.   
  
One of the people who _did_ know about it, was down in the dungeons, all by herself.   
  
Lana had visited Iria as many times as possible, but when she had almost gotten caught, Iria had threatened to commit suicide if Lana would visit her once more. Iria believed that if she would be dead, Lana wouldn't have any reason left to risk her life.   
  
Iria would have done it, she would have killed herself – Lana knew – if it meant that she would be safe. So she had pretended to obey Iria's order and mind-warped a couple of Iria's fellow-prisoners into taking care of Iria, so that she would get enough food and water.   
  
Sometimes, at night, when she'd feel lonely, she'd sneak out of her room and make her way to the dungeons. She carefully hid herself from everyone, including Iria. She would sit by her, watch the old woman sleep, softly stroking her wrinkled forehead and hollow cheeks, caressing her hair. Tears would be stinging her eyes, and there were times when Iria would awaken, alarmed by a sound in the dungeon. She would look around her, softly whispering Lana's name, her arms hovering in the air, reaching out to where she stood, touching without feeling her.   
  
Lana wasn't there, yet she was.   
  
She treasured those stolen moments in time, those moments between dusk and dawn, and looked forward to her next visit. The mind-warps were very draining though, and she couldn't visit Iria too often. Namra had once found her missing, and when she had confronted her with this information, Lana had been too afraid to tell her the truth.   
  
Namra had suggested that she'd been off to meet a secret lover, and Lana had just laughed along with her, leaving the real reason for her little escapades unknown.   
  
She shivered again, and sighed. It was a clear night, which made the temperature decrease faster than usual. She waited until Antar was visible, its image reflecting in the ocean below her, illuminating the already starlit coast. Admiring the scenery, she stayed outside for another minute, and then pushed herself off against the railing of the balcony.   
  
Avandra was writing something, a letter perhaps, and she approached her quietly, catching a glimpse of the letter's heading – Your Highness, - before Avandra saw her and quickly folded the letter.   
  
Harsh screams, sounds of terror and loud footsteps could be heard, penetrating the thick walls of the palace. Lana's curiosity was aroused, and she opened the front door to see what was happening. Soldiers and servants ran through the hallway, and a few women passed her, tear streaks visible on their faces, some of them still crying.   
  
Lana shut the door tight and leaned onto it, trying to digest what she'd just seen. One of those women had screamed something similar to "Ailiana," her very own name. Would Antar have finally broken through Kravoo's defenses? That wasn't possible, right? She hadn't heard any gunshots or bombs, and the horn of Kravoo that was supposed to warn them in emergencies hadn't sounded either.   
  
She blinked once, and bit her lip, literally trying to bite back the tears. Those women, children and even a few men… they had seemed so… _devastated_, so utterly lost, without any hope…   
  
"Not a pretty sight, huh?" Avandra, who had quietly observed her, softly said.   
  
Lana shook her head slowly, as if contemplating her answer, and swallowed once. "What's going on?" she asked, trying her utmost to keep her voice even and her appearance calm.   
  
Avandra stood up and put her letter in a large, white envelope. Looking at Lana, a weak smile filled with pity and sarcasm – mock, maybe? – formed itself on her face.   
  
"You haven't noticed, then? It's all about the so-called 'Princess of the Second Moon of Antar, Ailiana,' who's supposed to be captured in the dungeons," Avandra informed her.   
  
Lana didn't notice the venom with which Avandra spoke her name; her attention was fully directed at her own turmoil of thoughts.   
  
When Avandra realized that Lana didn't understand the relation between the Princess and the commotion outside, she hasted herself to elucidate her earlier words and clarify them to her.   
  
"It is said that she died a couple of years ago in the dungeons. The guards would have wanted to keep it a secret, and in an attempt to cover it up, they have thrown her corpse away, without notifying Khivar of what happened."   
  
Avandra paused to see if Lana was able to follow her and understood what she meant, but she failed to see the relieved expression on Lana's face.   
  
The Kravorians obviously didn't even consider the possibility that she had escaped, being sure that nobody could ever leave their dungeons, the best-guarded in the whole solar-system.   
  
After stalling a little longer, Avandra continued her story.   
  
"Khivar sent someone to retrieve the Princess yesterday, but couldn't find her anywhere. He interrogated the guards and some soldiers, but when they kept denying that she was dead, he murdered them."   
  
Lana's head shot up with those last words.   
  
_Innocent_ people had been killed because of her. Indirectly, she had killed a _person_.   
  
It didn't matter whether it had been a Kravorian, or an Antarian: it had been a _person_ with a mind, a heart and a soul.   
  
Avandra interpreted her reaction incorrectly. "I didn't know about her either, but it's said that Khivar had planned on marrying her," she said, jealousy dripping off of her words.   
  
Lana was aware that Avandra envied the Princess because of this. She had been sure that _she_ would marry Khivar, seeing that she was the most important unwed Princess of all the Moons of Antar, but now it seemed as if there was a Princess that was more important than her.   
  
Feeling sorry for her friend, Lana decided right there and then that Avandra could have Khivar. She would willingly give him to her, and – when needed – tie a neatly colored ribbon around his head.   
  
Lana could get along with Avandra fairly well, but there were just too many things in which their opinions differed. The most pertinent must be Khivar's way of ruling the planet and his whole warfare. Usually, she'd carefully avoid that topic when Avandra was around, and only discuss it with Namra.   
  
"Well, anyway, as I was saying, the deaths of those guards caused an uproar in the palace and in the capital, in which thousands of soldiers and women took part. Khivar has crushed the revolt with a lot of violence, and at least forty people have been killed, and a lot of people have been injured." Avandra confided her.   
  
Lana trembled with rage, restraining her fury and feelings of hatred towards Khivar. She hid her anger fairly well and managed to keep an almost blank expression on her face.   
  
"What's he planning to do next?" she asked, her voice surprisingly even and emotionless.   
  
Avandra wearily shook her head. "At the moment he's interrogating this old woman, Ailiana's supposed guardian."   
  
Lana gasped shocked, a gasp of pure horror. She had heard of Khivar's way of interrogating people. The more commonly used term for his interrogations would be 'torturing' and often ended in the death of the prisoner.   
  
She _had_ to get Iria away from there, as soon as possible.   
  
"Where…" her voice faltered, and she tried again, "Where is she being held?"   
  
Avandra looked slightly surprised by her question, and she scratched her eyebrow. "I don't know," she replied, "Namra will probably know, though."   
  
"Namra knows?" Lana asked Avandra hopefully, who disapprovingly nodded back at her. "She's with that Xander again." She uttered those words with such an obvious distaste that it surprised Lana. She knew that Avandra did not like Xander, but had never been aware that she hated him with such a vengeance. Giving Avandra a quick, sympathetic smile, she headed for the door. She was halfway out of the room when Avandra called her back.   
  
"When you see Namra, tell her to pack her things, okay? You should also pack, preferably tonight."   
  
She questioningly looked at Avandra. "Why? Where are we going?" she curiously asked, for a second forgetting about Iria, and immediately feeling immensely guilty about it.   
  
Waving with the letter, Avandra smiled triumphantly at her. "I've been invited to go to Antar. The Alliance wants Zan, the First Prince, to marry me, in order to get peace," she explained.   
  
A pang of hurt hit Lana, jealousy welling up inside of her. She just nodded though, quickly made her way out of the room, and ran blindly through the hallways, bumping into some people while doing so.   
  
Antar.   
  
The First Prince.   
  
Zan.   
  
The man _she_ was supposed to marry when older.   
  
The man to whom her parents had betrothed her.   
  
The boy with the raven hair and amber, gold-specked amber eyes.   
  
Zan.   
  
_Her_ Zan.   
  
She sighed, not at all pleased with the sudden turn in events, and the bittersweet feeling of butterflies mingled with an immense sadness in her stomach. Trying to ignore her feelings, she ran even harder, needing to forget Zan.   
  
He was just a part of her past, nothing more, nor anything less…


End file.
